Two to Tango
by Hewhoislost
Summary: I heard a phrase once: It takes Two To Tango, and I got to thinking, behind every Great Man is a Great Woman, so why not in Mass Effect. Heres their story.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: So It Begins

_(_If you read this once you've read it a thousand times, so here's the Boiler Plat Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Mass Effect Universe, That belongs to the Great and Powerful BioWare. I only , or more accurately my _Co-Author Lycanwolff_, own Kitrina Aurora Wolff , and any other OCs that may pop up _)_

_AN: This is my retelling of the game Mass Effect, there will be changes, OCs, and main charters will most defiantly go OOC. I have noticed that most Authors start their fics at the beginning of the game, I'm choosing to go much further back. This fic will contain Violence, fluff, angst, Xeno-racism, and scenes of an erotic nature(thou not tell much later). I hope you enjoy my retelling and I appreciate constrictive criticism, and any pointers you all feel free to provide. Thank you for reading._

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><p>"GET OFF MY BUS! GET OFF MY BUS! GET THE FUCK OFF MY MOTHERFUCKING BUS!"<p>

This...was the first thing Hew Shepard heard as he woke up from his decent slumber. The sheer volume of the voice echoed through the bus like a bullhorn through a vast cavern and the man it was coming from, was no taller then 5'9. As Hew blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked around, he saw all the other recruits damn near crawling over each other to get off the bus before the screaming men trained their sites on them. He couldn't help but chuckle at the spectacle of scrambling cattle. That, of course, was the wrong thing to do as the DI zeroed in on the noise that assaulted his ears.

"OH IS THAT FUCKING RIGHT? DO I AMUSE YOU? WAS I PUT HERE FOR YOU PLEASURE? GET THE FUCK OFF MY GODDAMN BUS RIGHT THE FUCK NOW!" the DI screamed with all his might as he got up close and personal with the grinning kid.

Hew, not wanting to draw anymore attention to himself, got off the bus which allowed for quick glances to locate the best routes of escape. It was an old habit he developed on the streets of Earth and one that allowed him to locate the rest of his group as they tried to find a spot on the infamous yellow foot prints he had heard so much about from eavesdropping on the conversations going on around him.

After finding a spot, Hew took a chance and looked around while the DI's screamed into the faces of the more scared recruits. The first thing he noticed, was a slightly overweight Alliance Officer standing on a small raised platform whom was yapping away, but Hew wasn't paying attention. He opted to ignore the officer and kept scanning, finding great amusement as one recruit, a young girl, started to cry from all the screaming being done which earned her some unwanted attention. That's when he saw the pretty little thing standing next to him. She wasn't all that tall, not compared to him that is, as he guessed she was only 5'7 or so. He noticed her hair was a dark auburn that brushed along her neck and each strand was well groomed and kept in line. As he traced her hair, he noticed a fair skin tone, one acquired while living on starships and not having the pleasure of witnessing sunshine on a regular basis. That caused him to take a step back and start to notice other things about her. The fact that she seemed to know what was going on, told him she knew military doctrine or had a rough idea at the very least. Perhaps a parent served? Then, he noticed she smelled clean, very clean. Not the kind of clean from using generic toiletries that you manage to get your hands on while trying to survive on the streets, but the clean you get from using scented, expensive products. In those few moments of observation, they told Hew everything he needed to know about her. She was a spoiled, Spacer, military brat. _Oh joy. _He thought with a cringe._ This is gonna be a long five months._

As the officer finished his speech, the DI's came out of no where, and once again started yelling and shouting, all to get the recruits into a large beige building that had 'Many Will Enter. But Few Will Leave' painted above the large red double doors and into a bright room that had a long table running it's length, covered with hundreds of gray plastic bins. As the last of the stragglers entered, the doors slammed shut with a loud bang that made all but a few jump, which included the auburn haired girl whom stood right next of him. After the doors were shut and sealed, the DI's started to walk up and down the aisles, telling everyone to put all their electronics, media devices, and anything else that was written on the wall, into the bins provided. Hew, only owning what was on his back, just stared at the bins, wondering what other people would place inside. So having nothing else to do, he watched as 'Auburn,' his nickname for the girl, placed her Omni-tool, wallet, music player, and some other personal items into her bin. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he automatically stared, adding up the value of her belongings in his head. The Omni-tool alone would have gotten him a warm meal and a few nights out of the cold back home. Something he most likely would have mugged the poor girl for if they were, in fact, back on Earth and he was still with the old gang. After a few minutes, the DI's started to funnel the recruits to a wall of windows where everyone lined up against the wall. When Hew arrived at one of the windows, the Alliance clerk behind the counter asked for his bin, upon which he just shrugged.

"Your funeral if the Drill Instructors find anything. Name: last, first and social I.D. Number." the clerk nearly ordered without bothering to look at the kid.

Hew froze, old instincts taking over. _Rule number 1:_ _Never give them your real name. _He briefly thought, realizing that the clerk was still waiting for his answer.

As the clerk glanced at him with a strange look, Hew finally opened his mouth, "Shepard, Hew. 5923-AC-2826." he said flatly.

The clerk ran the info through his terminal without saying another word.

After a few seconds, he looked at the boy before him with a slightly amused smirk plastered across his lips, "Shepard, _Hewbert_ Arthur," he was starting to laugh but bit his tongue to prevent it, "Here's your Mil card. Don't lose it or it's your funeral. NEXT!"

As Hew was stepping into a new line to get his issue, his temper fuming at the way the clerk had announced his full name to the entire room like it was a running joke, looked for 'Auburn,' and found her at the window. He noticed that the clerk was spending more time staring at her chest then her face when she spoke, overhearing her state her full name and ID number.

"Wolff, Kitrina Aurora, 5924-SC-2547" she easily reported with a soothing voice.

_ So that's her name...huh...fitting for some reason. _Hew thought as he turned his attention back to the line, just as it started to move forward. He came to yet another window, with yet another clerk that glared back at him with a blank face.

"Mil card." the clerk demanded.

Hew handed over the card, watching as the clerk scanned it into his terminal just like the previous one had.

"Lets see here," the clerk mumbled, his eyes flicking across the screen quickly, "1.8796 meters tall...83.91 Kg. Damn you're a skinny one aren't you. Don't worry. We'll get some weight on ya." he said nonchalantly, ignoring Hew's growing sneer.

The clerk disappeared for a moment into the back room which was out of Hew's line of sight, returning with a military gray C-Bag that was full, "Here you go. Three uniforms, five skivvy shirts, briefs, couple pairs of socks, two pairs of boots, a belt, and cover. This is your initial issue. You will get more gear as you go through training. If you lose, damage or just need new gear, just return here with your Mil card and a gear replacement chit and we'll hook you up. NEXT!" the clerk rattled off, probably for the thousandth time that week as he held a hand out for the next recruit's Mil card.

As Hew shouldered his bag and moved to the exit, he was bumped in his other shoulder but it wasn't anything that was going to threaten his balance, not like the poor soul whom had collided with him. He spun to see whom it was and discovered, it was none other then the girl named Kitrina Wolff, of all people. She stumbled from the sudden contact and was about to fall when Hew reached out and caught her by the collar, causing it to rip with a loud tear and expose just a little more of her slender neck.

Kitrina regained her balance and looked up to thank whomever stopped her from hitting the deck, but found him already walking towards the rest of their group. As she watched him walk away, she took in his clothes, and the way he walked. Years of living on starships has left her unaccustomed to walking in normal gravity, something that that man didn't seem to have a problem with. She also noticed, that his clothes seemed to be hanging on a slender frame and didn't seem to fit him. Almost as if they weren't his clothes. Kitrina hurried to catch up to her group and was a bit surprised that he was apart of it.

After the group had formed up into something resembling a platoon, a tall DI seemed to appear from the darkness, "ALL RIGHT YOU PATHETIC PIECES OF SHIT! WHEN I SAY LEFT, I WANT YOU TO TAKE A 30 INCH STEP WITH YOUR LEFT GODDAMN FOOT! WHEN I SAY RIGHT, I WANT YOU TO TAKE A 30 INCH STEP WITH YOUR RIGHT GODDAMN FOOT! ANY QUSTIONS!...NO!...GOOD! FORWARD...MARCH!" the DI screamed with an angry sneer across his face, "LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT..." he provided a cadence for the recruits to follow, but sadly, it wasn't doing much good as everyone was out of step.

As the DI called the cadence to get every one moving, Hew realized, somewhat to his amusement, that he had just joined one gang to get away from another. He started to laugh, causing Kitrina, whom was standing next to him, to give him a sidelong glance and probably wondering to herself if the tall man had lost his mind.

When the group got to the squad bay, as they learned it was called, the DI began to scream once more, which Hew was starting to get tired of, "ALRIGHT...CLAIM YOUR RACK AND GET SOME SLEEP," the DI started to snicker, as he was having a hard time holding it back, "You're going to need it." he mumbled.

With that, he disappeared into a small office and slammed the door with more force then was necessary and caused everyone to stare with shocked expressions. Everyone milled around for a few seconds before they started to pick racks and stow their gear, none talking for the first few moments until they finally started to warm up to each other. Hew found a rack in the back corner of the barracks and stowed his gear in the provided foot locker that sat at the foot of his chosen bed by just tossing it inside. Not really feeling tired, he started to watch all the other recruits. He watched the groups start to form and isolate themselves, already finding their clicks like they were in fucking high school. He groaned, leaning against his rack with his arms folded, thinking that maybe, he had made the wrong choice in enlisting in the first place, but it was better then alternative. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, breaking him free of his thoughts as he saw Kitrina stowing her gear in the footlocker next to his.

"Why are you here?" he asked curtly, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

Kitrina looked up, slightly startled by the sudden voice, "Huh? What?" it clicked that it was the tall, thin kid that had caught her collar.

"Why are you bunking here? There are plenty of other bunks left." Hew motioned with his chin to the other empty racks that were away from his.

Kitrina began to feel slightly awkward, "Uh...I don't know. I didn't put much thought into it. I never really fit in with the normal crowd so I guess I just like it here. Why do you ask?" she tried to sound as kind as possible, as she was going to be spending the next five months with this man.

Hew scoffed and shrugged, "Whatever. Just curious. Most people give me a wide berth. On a side note, you might wanna try and get some sleep. The DI's are planning something and I think we might need it...But...you probably already know that being a spacer brat."

Kitrina's eyes narrowed as she glared and watched the strange man, seeing him slip into his rack, close his eyes and seemingly fall asleep in the span of a minute or two. She was a little curious, due to his actions, and wondered why he was still wearing the same clothes he checked in with. She shook off her thoughts and proceeded to change into her sleeping cloths, listening as the squad bay began to die down as many of the recruits were preparing to sleep when all hell broke loose.

The DI's burst from the Duty Hut and started flipping racks, throwing foot lockers and raising a royal racket that immediately awoke every recruit and probably any recruit that resided in the neighboring buildings.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY RACKS! YOU DON'T GET TO SLEEP YET! I'LL TELL YOU WHEN YOU CAN SLEEP!" a DI bellowed as he flipped a rack with surprising ease, tossing the mattress aside like it was an empty sack.

The youngest DI glared around the bay, seeing Hew laying on the top rack in the back corner and figured he would make an example out of him. They were taught in DI School to find the recruit that would most likely be the problem and deal with them fast and hard and by the looks of things, that particular recruit was going to be a handful as he was the oldest in the bay.

Hew saw the DI making a beeline for him, causing two thoughts to rampage through his mind. One, he was about to be made an example of, or two, wondering if he should wait and see what the DI was going to do. Hew chose the latter. He shifted his weight and as soon as the DI had grasped the rack, Hew slide down to the ground and stared down the far smaller man. Apparently, that was the wrong thing to do as the DI reacted in a time honored way of the DI...He poked Hew in the chest.

The following scene was a blur for everyone in the bay, including the other DI's as it ended with one DI on his back with the sound of breaking bones echoing through the squad bay. The bay turned silent and still as Hew stood up, still glaring down at the now hissing DI on the deck, holding his arm that was...less then straight. Again, all hell broke loose as the remaining two DI's converged on Hew, pinning him to the wall and yelling at the top of their lungs for the 'Senior Hat.'

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><p>GySgt Ellison was siting in the the Duty Hut listening to the 'music' as he called it when all of a sudden the squad bay went quiet. In the six years he had been a Drill Instructor, the squad bay had never been quiet...ever. When the yelling started up again, it wasn't the usual noise from the 'breaking process' but the panicked yelling that he hadn't heard since that botched training mission that left two Marines dead and six in the infirmary. He stood from his chair, causing it to smack against the bulkhead and marched right into the squad bay with his trade marked sneer across his face.<p>

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON OUT HERE?" is eyes shifted immediately to the young DI on the deck, "AND WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO HENDERSON?" he added, trying to not let his voice squeak which it was known to do if he yelled to loud.

The surprise on Ellison's face was only noticed by the other DI's, as all the recruits refused to look him in the face for fear of getting punished. This was the corporal's first cycle and judging by the angle of his arm, he wouldn't be able to train the recruits for a while. Ellison raised his view to take in the recruit that Sgt. Johnson and Cpl. Fredricks were restraining and was a bit taken back by his appearance. The kid standing before him was tall, very tall but he couldn't have weighed more then 90 kilos soaking wet. _How the Hell did this kid overpower Henderson?_ Ellison thought briefly. The corporal was a black belt in MCMAP and was also on the MC Mixed Martial Arts team, but this kid not only overpowered him, but broke his arm before the other DI's could react. He noticed a female standing off to the side with a shocked look an her face, trying with all her might not to stare him back in the eyes.

"RECRUIT!" he snapped his fingers to get her attention, making her look at him and lowered his voice to something far more reasonable for the enclosed space, "What happened here?"

Kitrina drew in a breath to try and steady her nerves, "I...I don't know. The Drill Instructor reached out and...the next thing this recruit knew, was that the other Drill Instructors had that recruit pinned to the bulkhead. It happened so fast Sir. This recruit really didn't see anything...Sir." she added as an afterthought.

Ellison pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation, "Drop him," he ordered of the two DI's that had the tall male pinned, "Now...recruit," Ellison looked down at his data pad to get the recruits name, as he wasn't wearing anything that he had been issued like the others, "Shepard...What happened?"

Hew brushed himself off and brought his gaze up to the Senior Drill Instructor and locked eyes, taking in a long, unbroken breath, "I slipped off the rack..._Sir._ I must have fallen into the Drill Instructor..._Sir._" he sneered, using 'Sir' as a curse and finding that his attitude was rearing it's ugly head.

The fact that this recruit was able to say that with a straight face was a little unsettling to Ellison as he knew he was lying but couldn't tell, as this Shepard kid had no tells that he could readily see. He must have had the best poker face that the older man had ever seen.

Ellison didn't let his discomfort show however, "OH IS THAT SO! GET THE FUCK ON MY QUARTER DECK," he screamed at Hew before turning his attention to the female, "And you, recruit Wolff, will join him. Think of it as a training lesson to make you more observant."

"But I didn't do any..." Kitrina began to protest.

"DID THAT SOUND LIKE A REQUEST RECRUIT WOLFF! MOVE YOUR ASS NOW!"

As Kitrina hustled up to the Quarter Deck, she saw that Shepard was already getting worked on at the hands of the two DI's that had him up against the wall only moments before. She stood at attention on the Quarter Deck awaiting her orders, upon which she received from the DI with the name tag of Sgt. Johnson.

"WELL HELLO PRINCESS! WHAT? YOU WANT AN ENGRAVED INVITATION! SIDE STRADDLE HOPS RIGHT THE FUCK NOW!" he screamed.

As Kitrina started doing jumping jacks, all she could do was think. _I didn't do anything wrong. That Shepard kid hit the DI and I'm getting punished? That's bull shit! _She started to get angry.

Hew could tell that Kitrina was mad at him, and was surprised that it mattered to him. That was a new feeling for him, as he hadn't had much experience with with people who didn't have criminal records. His whole life, all he cared about was himself. That was the only way to stay alive on the streets. Now he found himself glancing at her and he noticed the scowl on her face._ Ha ha...It looks like little miss perfect can fuck up too and the best part is, is that I was there to see it. _All this went through Hew's head as he was doing his push-ups.

"SWITCH!"

Hew looked at the DI for a moment till it clicked. He stood up and started doing jumping jacks, but Kitrina was a little quicker on the up take, as she was already doing push ups.

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><p>Across the squad bay Ellison was dealing with Henderson, trying to keep him calm as they waited for the corpsmen. He notice the way Shepard and Wolff seemed to read each other, mainly how the Shepard kid was reading Wolff's body language. He also noticed that they are keeping in rhythm with each other. As Wolff went down on her push up, Shepard extended his jumping jack. Ellison looked back at Henderson and started to examine his crooked arm, taking great care not to injury him further as he was pretty sure that the bump protruding from the center of his arm, was the bone. He noticed the bruising started to show in precise locations, following the darkening spots and realized, that Shepard had struck only where he need to with no wasted movement. GySgt Ellison brought up all the information that the Earth recruiter had found on Shepard and was surprised that the man had no formal hand to hand training...No schooling what so ever.<p>

"An orphan and a gang member. A Lieutenant in the Reds...Huh."

At that little tidbit, Ellison raised an eyebrow. He had heard stories about the Tenth Street Reds. That they recruited from orphanages mainly and found the outcasts and castoffs of society. Ellison kept reading the extensive file.

_'Hewbert Shepard was found guilty of Assault, Grand Theft Auto and three counts of Breaking __and Entering. The Judge offered Shepard the choice of prison or recruitment into the Systems Alliance Marine Corps. Hewbert Shepard chose recruitment in leu of jail time. I feel this is an opportunity not only for Shepard, but the Alliance as well. He gets a second chance and pays his debt to society. We get a trained and motivated individual that has nowhere else to go. Imagine what he could become.'_

By this time, the corpsman had arrived and was working on Henderson's arm, trying to immobilize it in a makeshift sling so that he didn't injury it further. The medi-gel had taken effect as Henderson had relaxed and now needed help to walk as his mouth curled into a stupid smile. As the corpsmen loaded Henderson onto the stretcher, Ellison brought the information that was sent along with Wolff.

'_Kitrina Wolff shows extreme promise in the field of electronic warfare. Recommend training in the Combat Engineer program upon completion of Basic Training. Shows limited leadership abilities. I believe this is due to the fact that both her parents are Alliance officers. I believe Basic Training will encourage development of latent Leadership skills. On a side note, I found it odd that her medical records are sealed. Hopefully this can be taken care of with a physical upon entering the second stage of training and the physicians at MCRD Mars will have the required clearance levels.' _

The part about 'sealed medical records' caused the GySgt to pause. In all his years as a DI, he only came across one other with sealed medical records. A recruit that came from Earth by the name of Alenka...no, that wasn't right. Alanke?...no. 'A' something but Ellison couldn't remember for the life of him what the recruit's name was. Rumor had it, that he was a Biotic though. He clearly remembered that part. Ellison caught a note saying she should be afforded extra rations during chow, raising red flags in Ellison's head as to why the hell would the brass would send a Biotic to non-Biotic Basic Training. It made no sense...to him at least.

By now the Corpsman had Henderson out of the squad bay and well on his way to the Infirmary, leaving Ellison with the fun job of dealing with the two on the Quarter Deck. His attention turned to the two recruits that he was puzzling over, seeing Wolff covered in sweat and panting where as Shepard...wasn't even breathing hard.

_So he's in shape and has endurance apparently_, "Strong or Smart." Ellison said to himself. It was an old Jarhead slogan, meaning a Marine was either on the quarter deck a lot, or knew their military knowledge. He then...got an idea.

"RECRUIT WOLFF! WHAT IS YOUR FIFTH GENERAL ORDER?" Ellison bellowed.

"THIS RECRUIT'S FIFTH GENERAL ORDER IS TO QUIT MY POST ONLY WHEN PROPERLY RELIEVED! SIR!" she answered quickly, almost as if she didn't have to actually think about it.

"RECRUIT SHEPARD! WHAT IS YOU THIRD GENERAL ORDER?"

"What the fuck is a General Order? SIR!" Hew craned his head around to stare at the Senior DI with a raised eyebrow and shrugged.

At that out burst, the DI's fixed their attention back on Shepard, which was turning out to be something that they had been doing a lot.

"THAT'S RIGHT! YOU CAN SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT! I DON'T FUCKING THINK SO! FROM THIS POINT ON THE ONLY THINGS OUT OF YOUR MOUTH WILL BE: YES SIR, NO SIR, AND AYE AYE SIR. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME RECRUIT SHEPARD?" the noise echoed throughout the entire building like an earthquake.

Hew shrugged again, "Uh...yeah...I guess."

"I! I! YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY 'I!' YOU WILL ADDRESS YOURSELF AS 'THIS RECRUIT!' IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?"

Hew locked eyes with the only DI capable of looking him in the face and he saw the man's blood run cold.

_ How the fuck does a 19 year old have that look? _"WELL RECRUIT!"

"This recruit understands...SIR!" he spat with a hint of snideness.

"WELL YOU _CAN_ TEACH A SHIT STICK NEW TRICKS! MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS THE BOTH OF YOU RIGHT NOW!"

The 'Intensive Training' went on for what felt like hours...at least to Kitrina until the Senior DI stepped in, "I think they've had enough...Don't you gentleman?"

"No Senior, but if you say so." the two DI's took a step back away from the two young kids as they saw them.

"Well than recruit Wolff...have you learned your lesson?"

"YES SIR!"

"And you recruit Shepard? What have you learned?"

"I..." he corrected himself, "This recruit learned that it's not wise to fall off of his _rack...Sir."_

"Well as long as you learned something...I guess it's a win. Get back to your racks and get some sleep. I think you just might need it." Ellison smirked.

Hew and Kitrina shared a glance and started to run back into the squad bay, "Don't you dare run in my squad bay! People can get hurt doing that!" one of the DI's barked.

They slowed and briskly walked to their rack and picked it up, resetting the cheap mattresses and bedding that had gotten tossed in the may ham. Hew looked back and saw all the DI's walk back into the office at the head of the Squad Bay, and before he could turn back, he felt a hand make contact with his face and it stung...a lot. Hew just stared at Kitrina with his jaw open.

"What the fuck was that for?" he snarled, looking down at her.

"You got me in trouble, that's what." she hissed, her cheeks still flushed from the workout and still somewhat out of breath.

"What? I got you to break a sweat, which looks good on you by the way...and you hit me?" Hew's mouth quirked into a smart ass grin.

"That's right...wait...what did you say?"

"I made you sweat and you hit me. What's so hard about that?" he gently rubbed his stinging cheek.

"Not the make me sweat part...the other part." her brows pinched.

"What are you talking about?"

"You said I loo.."

"RECRUIT WOLFF! RECRUIT SHEPARD! REPORT TO THE DUTY HUT!"

Hew looked at Kitrina and waited for her to make the first move, for he had no idea what a Duty Hut was. Kitrina stared right back before it click in her mind that he had no idea what they were talking about. _Jesus...This guy's gonna get kicked out before we even start._ She rolled her eyes and walked with purpose to the office at the front of the Squad Bay, ignoring the stares from the other recruits as they watched them pass by. When she arrived, she proceeded to hit a rectangle of wood beside the door with an open hand.

"RECRUITS WOLFF AND SHEPARD REPORTING AS ORDERED SIR!"

"ENTER!"

After hearing the order to enter Kitrina entered the Duty Hut. Hew, not knowing what to do followed her lead and mimicked everything she did, almost to a tee. So when she stood slightly off center of the desk with her heels together, back straight and eyes staring over the Seniors' head at some point on the wall, Hew did the same.

* * *

><p>After Ellison dismissed the two recruits from the Quarter Deck and returned to the Duty Hut, he closed the door, "So what are they doing?" he smirked.<p>

Johnson, whom was watching through the window, which appeared as a wall to the recruits, smirked as he watched the two in question, "They just made it back to their racks and they're talking about something...Oh damn! She just smacked him. Gunny, you gotta see this." he started to laugh.

Ellison turned his chair to see out the 'window' to get a better view. What he saw made him smile. The fact that Shepard didn't retaliate said something about how he felt about women, which was a good thing considering his gruff background. He watched as they seemed to have a short conversation which seemed to cause Wolff to stutter, but before she could get confirmation or ask a question, Ellison bellowed "RECRUIT WOLFF! RECRUIT SHEPARD! REPORT TO THE DUTY HUT!"

The other two DI's hid in the sleeping area and closed the door. As the door shut, Ellison heard the pine being slapped and Wolff's voice "RECRUITS WOLFF AND SHEPARD REPORTING AS ORDERED SIR!"

"ENTER!"

As the two recruits stood before him, he noticed that Shepard let Wolff lead. At first, he thought he did it so she was hit with the brunt but then noticed that he was watching her out of the corner of his eye and taking his cues from her. _Hmm...He might be more clever then I thought. _Ellison looked at them for a few minutes, watching them squirm, well Wolff was anyway as Shepard seemed to be casing it, for lack of a better word.

"Well it seems that you two aren't really getting along are you? I have a solution for that. From now on, you are responsible for each other. Everything one does, the other gets credit for. So you two better start to work together and help each other on your weaknesses. Because if one of you fails...BOTH of you fail!"

Hew and Kitrina just stared at the Senior DI and before Hew could say anything, he caught notice that Kitrina began to sway from side to side. He turned his head and watched her as she began to fall, her knees letting go as she passed out and had to carry her back to her rack after they were dismissed. Several minutes passed until Kitrina woke up and found Hew sitting on the edge of her rack, watching her.

"What are you doing in my rack?" she groaned with another, angry sneer.

"I was making sure you were ok. You passed out. You must have locked your knees."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know why you locked 'em." he snapped.

"Not that you idiot. Why are you making sure I'm ok?" she growled, scooting away from him as she was still furious.

"You heard the Senior...If you fail, I fail and I can't afford to fail or I go to prison."

"Ah...So you're just doing it so you benefit," she hissed, "So all that actually happened?"

Hew nodded.

"My god...I'm living a nightmare." she groaned.

Hew was getting rather irritated at her attitude towards him, which caused him to wonder why as he was used to catching flack...Oh, that's right, he always caught flack, "Well I'm not to thrilled about it ether princess. You can't do much physical stuff can you? I mean, we were only on the Quarter Deck for like 15 minutes and you damn near passed out...well, you did pass out if you want to get technical. What's with that?"

Kitrina sat up and glared, "What's the problem? I grew up on spaceships. I'm not used to normal gravity. What about you? Who doesn't know simple stuff like General Orders? Did your recruiter not give you basic knowledge?"

"What the hell is a General Order? Oh...and just so you know, I never met my Recruiter." he spat.

Kitrina just stared at him. _How do you not know your Recruiter?_ This was beyond her. _Just how am I supposed to_ _get through this if this muscle bound idiot keeps screwing up?_

"I'm not an idiot and if I were you, I wouldn't jump to conclusions about me. I didn't get the chance to go to a fancy school like you did. I had to learn how to survive on the streets. I might not be 'book smart' like you, but I have skills and experiences that someone like you will never understand Miss Spacer brat."

Kitrina's brows drew together, as she was pretty sure she didn't say what she had thought out loud. "I didn't say that and what do you mean you didn't get to go to school! How the hell did you get into the Alliance without a diploma or G.E.D?"

"What else would that sentence mean princess? Listen, it's a story for another day Miss Spacer, so you better get some sleep and get ready for tomorrow."

"I have a name you know and it's not Miss Spacer."

"Well if you pull your head out of the sand, I just might use it. Go to sleep." he sprang up from her rack and climbed into his.

"Fine...But I'm not doing it because you told me too. _Good...Night._" she hissed as she forcefully pulled the cheap blanket up to her shoulders and turned to lay on her side in a huff.

Hew laid down to drift off to sleep, still wondering why the hell he had agreed to this in the first place. It was either this, or jail and to be honest, he would have had a better time in the slammer then getting yelled at by kids only a couple years older then he was and ordered around like he was five. He sighed quietly, knowing that his desire to be free and clear of all the things he's done was a strong one and he couldn't just ignore it. He wanted to be done with the Reds. He wanted to get out of the rut he dug for himself and he was really tired of all the cops calling him by his first name like they were his parents, as if that wasn't a sore spot. Seems like everywhere he went, no one wanted to give a damn about him, even Kitrina as she very clearly didn't like him. _Who cares if she doesn't like me. No one else does so your reputation isn't soiled. Just get to sleep. _He groaned to himself as he made himself comfortable and went to sleep._ This is gonna be a long five months._

* * *

><p><em> AN: Well there you have it, hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Your reviews will be appreciated and any criticism will be taken into consideration. Thanks again for your time. <em>


	2. Chapter 2: SSDD

Chapter 2: SSDD

_("Attention...Attention...Is this thing on? Hey Lycanwolff, I don't think the mike is on." "What do you want me to do about it?" "I don't know, how will I tell them I don't own BioWare or the Mass Effect characters?" "I'm pretty sure they know. If you did, would you be writing on FanFic?" "I'm pretty sure I would...Hey...what's that red light mean?" "What red light? This red light?" "Yeah that one. Oh shit! Is this recording?" __*Shuffling is heard then nothing*)_

* * *

><p>Boot camp…What can someone say about Boot Camp other then it was….well…..like a boot in the ass and this is exactly what Hew Shepard and Kitrina Wolff had been thinking.<p>

"THIS IS YOUR RECRUIT KNOWLEDGE! YOU WILL READ, SLEEP, BREATH AND EAT WITH IT! YOU WILL HAVE THIS MEMORIZED FRONT TO BACK, TOP TO BOTTEM. BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RECITE IT VERBATIM! DO YOU UNDERSTAND...GOOD!"

After the DI finished, Hew started to get worried. _Are they serious? I need to read something? This is going to fucking suck. _He thought as he received the datapad. He flipped through the 'pages' and really started to get worried, seeing just how much knowledge was actually stuffed into the datapad's databanks. _FUCK! I can't read any of this! What the fuck am I going to do? I can't go to prison! _Hew groaned as he moved back to his rack with the datapad in hand and sat down with a heavy, frustrated sigh. He glanced over and noticed that Wolff was already quickly skimming the datapad, flipping page after page so fast, it was as if she already knew what was in there.

"Anything important I need to know?" Hew quipped, drawing in a nervous breath as he just stared at the words on the screen.

"Unless you already know everything about the Alliance Marines and Military history, then yeah...there is." she spat, rolling her eyes and slowly shaking her head as she continued reading.

"It can't be that important can it? I mean come on...How much do I need to know to shoot a gun?" he growled, his grip tightening around the datapad like he was trying to crush it with his bare hands.

Kitrina looked up from the datapad and locked eyes with Shepard, "What? A big guy like you scared of a little reading? Come on...get serious. Just read the info and maybe you'll learn something." she hissed with another eye roll, which was starting to get on Hew's nerves. _I hate it when people roll their eyes at me._

Hew shuffled a bit and looked back to the datapad, still not understanding anything and getting more and more confused and frustrated. _I should know this. How can I not know this? Hell...Franklin could read and he was a dumb ass._ He took one more look at the datapad, still not understanding a damn thing as everything there just looked like another language to him. He saw the words, but nothing was clicking. He knew the letters, but his brain couldn't put them together. He tossed the datapad on the rack in frustration and growled angrily as he rested his palms on the stiff mattress and snarled, staring blankly at the wall as he battled to keep his temper in line before he punched something.

Kitrina watched Shepard out of the corner of her eye as he tossed the datapad in his hands aside with a heavy snarl. The look of confusion that crossed his face was a bit weird to her, as she didn't understand what the big problem was. _Is the information that difficult for him to grasp? _As she watch some more, seeing him pick up the datapad once more and star at it, she noticed that he wasn't turning pages and seemed to be reading the same sentence over and over without understanding what he was reading. After a moment, it finally clicked. _Oh. My. God. He can't read! Why the hell can't he read?_ _This is bad...So very, very bad. _Kitrina thought as she just stared at him, realizing that this just made Boot Camp a lot fucking harder.

"Uh...Shepard? Are you able to understand what you're reading?" she asked as kindly as possible, not wanting to aggravate him any further then he already was.

Shepard sighed, "I don't need to understand this shit if all I'm going to do is shoot a fucking gun." Hew snapped, sending her an angry, sidelong glare.

Kitrina slowly stood up and took Shepard's datapad, shutting it off, "Ok Shepard...What did the page say?"

Hew glared at Wolff, his brows pinching together hard, "I don't know what it said...Ok! There... happy? I can't read! There...I fucking said it!" Hew forcefully took the datapad from Wolff and started typing, his fingers flying across the interface for a few seconds before he handed it back to her, his face still as blank as it was before.

Kitrina looked down and was surprised to see the first page of the Recruit Knowledge typed out perfectly. Everything was there: The Title, the 'By' line, the copyright date...everything. All the little things she never noticed on the page were there as well, like the page number and the manufacturer of the software. She had to bring up the title page on her own datapad to compare and it was perfect...Bloody perfect.

"Wait...I thought you said you couldn't read?" she asked, her brows furrowed lightly as she looked at Shepard with her own confusion.

Hew shrugged, "I can't. I just...I just made it match the one I saw." he said flatly, gnawing on the inside of his bottom lip, clearly still angry...or was it ashamed?

"What do you mean by match?"

"You know..." he sighed, "I made all the stuff match. The letters and numbers and stuff. Can't you do that?" he finally glanced up at her, his anger slightly fading to be replaced by embarrassment and a full portion of shame.

"No...I can't. You have a photographic memory?"

Hew simply nodded.

"That's amazing!" her lips curled into a stunned smile, "You can't read, but you can remember how everything goes together...That gives me an idea." she said, tapping a finger on her chin as she thought a moment.

Hew glanced up at her with another confused look and tilted his head to one side.

"Here...sit down. I wanna try some thing." she urged him to sit, which was a chore due to his height and plopped him down on the deck.

She sat down next to him as she started tapping on the datapad, her fingers fluidly and expertly drifting across the interface like she had been doing the same thing non stop for years. A few seconds passed before she handed him his datapad with a knowing smirk across her face and it was more then a little smug. When Hew looked down, he saw images he recognized on the screen with words underneath them.

"What's this?" he asked, glancing over at her once more.

"It's a training aid for grade school students. It helps them associate the word with the image. It lets them form a connection to know what the word means." she briefly explained as she pointed each point out to him on the datapad.

Hew stared at her, still feeling horrifically embarrassed and ashamed that he was a 19 year old who couldn't read before glancing back at the datapad with the program to teach children how to do so.

Kitrina let him go as he wished as she continued reading through her information, but when she looked over, she noticed that he was flipping through the images at an alarming pace. She noticed his eyes never flicked down to look at the word which meant, he was only associating with the picture and ignoring the words all together.

"Slow down...If you go too fast, you won't catch anything." she urged, flipping her own page on her datapad.

Hew found the images childish but was surprised at the fact that he was actually remembering what the words meant. When Wolff told him to slow down he glanced up at her, "I'm fine...This is actually working." he growled, letting his temper fuel up a bit as he was still frustrated that someone knew his closely guarded secret.

"How can it be working? You're not even looking at the words?" her brows furrowed again, watching as he seemed to speed up to prove a point.

"I can see the words and the image at the same time. The same way I can see you and the Duty Hut. I have pretty good peripheral vision as well as above average eyesight," he quickly explained without looking up, "This is working for things and stuff but how will I get sentence structure? I don't think there are pictures for that...are there?"

"Well….no, there isn't, but the trick is to start at the bottom and work your way up." she answered, furrowing her brows again as she tried to grasp the situation.

"How long will this take? I need to figure this out really fucking fast. When can I start working with the Recruit Knowledge thing? I'll need to know that stuff at some point right?"

"It'll take as long as it needs to Mr. Thug. You can't very well get through boot without knowing your knowledge. There's a test in the third month." she snarled.

Hew stopped what he was doing and stared, slowly turning his head to glare at her, "What you just call me? Mr. Thug? Oh that's real cute. Think of that all by yourself did you?" he growled at her, "So I have three months to figure out how to read...Well then I do believe we are screwed." he turned back to the datapad, unsure why he was even trying at this point if he only had three months to learn how to read well enough to take a test that's been written for college level people.

"Hey...you called me Mrs. Spacer so it's only fair. Don't sass me. I'm the only shot you've got at getting through this…And just for the record, we aren't screwed. Not if I have anything to say about it." she huffed, deciding that shutting up, was the best course of action.

* * *

><p>GySgt Ellison was sitting in the Duty Hut when Cpl. Fredricks started to hand out the Recruit Knowledge datapads. He was curious as to how Shepard was going to deal with this little challenge, as he had read in the kid's file that he had no formal schooling which meant...he couldn't read. He was surprised to see that Wolff seemed to be helping him when he saw her do something with the datapad and hand it back to Shepard. Plus, accessing it with his override to see what she did, didn't hurt either. What he saw made him chuckle. He didn't expect Wolff to download a child's teaching aid for Shepard to try and learn. In hind site, it was pretty clever, but the speed in which Shepard was flipping was disconcerting. It seemed too fast to be learning anything to do him any good. Ellison brought up the information regarding Shepard after a few minutes and with no new info, he shut down his datapad and continued to watch as Recruits Shepard and Wolff appeared to be working together for once.<p>

"You think it will work Gunny?"

Ellison looked over to see Sgt. Johnson leaning against the wall lockers and sipping on some coffee that he was pretty sure was cold by now. The sergeant wasn't as confidant with this plan, but was willing to place the old bet. They did this every cycle. Find two recruits that show promise, or are complete opposites, pair them up and see where it goes. The bet was usually a pass or fail. The Gunny always bet pass...and the sergeant, always bet fail.

"I think it'll work. Hell...she's teaching him to read right now." Ellison said gruffly, leaning back into his chair.

"Wait...Shepard can't read! How the hell did he get in?" Johnson reeled, nearly dropping his coffee to the deck.

"I didn't think he can. He's had no formal schooling. The kid grew up on the streets and has a record longer then my wife's honey-do-list. As for how he got here, a Judge offered him that old choice. Enlist in the Marines, or go to Jail. He chose enlistment...Go figure...They always think it'll be easier. He'll learn the hard way. His recruiter seemed to think he could offer the Alliance something but I don't know yet. What do you think?" Ellison folded his hands in his lap as he waited.

Johnson sighed, "Well...he's been on the Quarter Deck more often then any other recruit and I have never seen him break a sweat. He has endurance I'll give him that and he seems to remember anything we say real fast," he slowly shook his head, "but that reading thing...I hope your right or it will be a big issue in about two months. If he can't pass that test, he's pretty much screwed. Two tries, then you wash out. He'll make a hell of a grunt I can say that much but not much else." he folded his arms across his broad chest.

"I don't know about that. I think he has a lot more potential then just a grunt. I think he has leadership abilities but just doesn't have the motivation to show it. I mean, for Christ's sake, his file says he was a LT in the Tenth Street Reds so I know he's not stupid. You have any ideas for the Guide position yet? How about Squad Leaders?" Ellison asked, reaching for another datapad that had the company's roster on it.

"Am I picking up that you wanna make him the Guide?" Johnson questioned, furrowing his brows.

Ellison just nodded without looking up from the datapad.

"Come on Gunny...that's a bit much. A Squad Leader maybe but not The Guide. Maybe if he passes the Knowledge exams sure...why not. Recruit Wolff might make a good Squad Leader thought. Both her parents are Officers so a leadership position might not be much of a stretch. That's my opinion since you asked." he slightly winced, hoping he hadn't just crossed the line with the Gunny.

Ellison glanced up at him and drew in a breath as he set down the datapad, "Wolff as a Squad Leader...That could work. Start her in forth squad and see how she does," he glanced at the clock, "Well, it's time for the parade deck I think. Get them outside to get some air. Put Wolff in front and Shepard right behind her...Let's see what happens." he directed, standing from his chair and looking out into the squad bay.

"Roger that Gunny. I'll get right on that. We can get two runs in before chow. Wolff still on double rations?" Johnson asked, retrieving his 'Smokey Bear' from the hat rack in the corner.

"Yes, she gets double rations still and no, I'm still not going to tell you why." Ellison said flatly.

"Whatever you say Gunny."

* * *

><p>"ALL RIGHT YOU SHIT STICKS, GRAB YOU GEAR AND FALL IN. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, READY GO!"<p>

Hew glanced up at the DI as he came out of the Duty Hut and gave the command to fall in. He got to his feet and helped Wolff up, discovering she was quite light and nimble for just coming down from artificial gravity. He then grabbed his gear, passed Wolff her's and headed outside without bothering to wait for her.

Kitrina paused a moment as Shepard passed her gear over. _That was unexpected._ She thought with a thankful nod. _Why did he do that? _She thought once more as she donned her web belt, grabbed her cover and headed for the door to fall in.

"Recruits Shepard, Wolff...stand fast," Sgt Johnson called without unleashing the tremendous power his lungs held, "Recruit Wolff...you are Forth Squad Leader. Recruit Shepard, you are Forth Squad, First Fire team Leader hop to it!" he ordered with the sneer that he rarely ever took off.

Hew and Kitrina shared a glance before they hustled outside to get into their proper places. After everyone was ready, the DI's marched them to a long, flat section of pavement that strongly resembled and old fashioned runway. It looked old, that's for sure and it was made of concrete instead of Duraplast...that was something they found odd.

"THIS IS THE PARADE DECK! IT WAS BROUGHT FROM EARTH PIECE BY PIECE FROM EVERY MARINE RECRUIT DEPOT. NONE OF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SET FOOT ON IT!" Sgt Johnson bellowed, filling his voice with a harsh growl as he pointed to the ground, "ON SECOND THOUGHT, YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO LOOK AT IT! EYES DOWN! OH WE WANT TO MOVE SLOW! FIRST SQUAD GET IN MY PIT RIGHT NOW!"

Hew watched as First Squad ran to a sand filled pit, a couple recruits stumbling over themselves as their feet slipped in the loose sand. _Oh joy...mind fuck games. _As First Squad was being thrashed in the Pit, Hew noticed Wolff was shaking ever so slightly. He nudged her and when he caught her eye he nodded in encouragement. He had no idea why Wolff would be worried about some time in the sand, but was going to keep an eye on her in any case, as he had no desire to endure any more of the Senior DI's wrath if one of them were to fail.

Kitrina was getting hungry, her stomach rumbling loudly and sending a small quake through her entire body. When she got hungry, her control slipped and since no one in the platoon knew this little secret, they would most likely shy away in a hurry if her control slipped. When she saw First Squad go into the pit, her worry started to show as she started to shake. She didn't think it was that bad until she felt someone nudge her, causing her to glance over her shoulder and see Shepard give her a little nod. She had no idea why, for what she really needed was a high protein snack, or lunch for that matter.

"SECOND SQUAD TO THE PIT! FIRST SQUAD, GET YOUR ASSES BACK INTO FORMATION!"

As First Squad fell back in, Hew couldn't help but notice the thin layer of fine sand that coated them. They looked exhausted and were barley standing, despite the short workout. _Huh...That didn't look so hard. Wonder what the sands for?_ Hew started going back over all the images that he saw on his datapad, figuring that if he was just gonna stand there for a bit, he might as well do something productive. He got to the G's when the DI's yelling broke his train of thought.

"THIRD SQUAD TO THE PIT! SECOND SQUAD, GET BACK IN FORMATION!"

Kitrina was getting more worried as the DI was getting closer to her Squad. The more her worry grew, the more she noticed how hungry she was and when the thought about how hungry she was it reached her stomach, it made her worry more. It was a viscous cycle. Then her stomach dropped.

"FORTH SQUAD GET YOUR ASSES TO MY PIT! THIRD SQUAD FALL IN!"

* * *

><p>GySgt Ellison was just leaving the Squad Bay and saw Sgt. Johnson ITing the recruits which wouldn't be an issue until he noticed that Wolff was shaking and Shepard was eying her with concern. Then, it hit him. Kitrina only had standard rations for breakfast and since this was not a Biotic boot camp, she can't carry energyprotein bars. Ellison ran across the paved road, waving his hand to get Sgt. Johnson's attention before something happened. When the sergeant looked up, he gave the hand single to stop and get the platoon in formation, having to fight with himself to keep his face blank of any expression so the recruits didn't suspect anything. By the time he came abreast with the platoon, it was in formation and everyone was covered in sand and breathing heavily, all except Shepard that is. Ellison then motioned Johnson over.

"You need to get them to the chow hall Sergeant."

"Uh...ok, sure. Can I ask why its so important?" Johnson whispered, well below the recruits range of hearing.

"You see Recruit Wolff there? See her shaking?" Ellison whispered, keeping his hands locked behind his back to keep him from pointing.

Johnson quickly glanced over his shoulder, scanning the whole platoon as he saw Wolff at the front of forth squad, "Yeah," he shrugged, "So what. A lot of recruits shake before and after the pit. What's so special?" his brows furrowed.

"Dammit...I think she might be a Biotic and the reason she's shaking, is because she is barely holding on. Get them to the Chow Hall real fucking quick." Ellison snarled, not enjoying how the sergeant had spoken to him but knowing that he had to end the discussion as quickly as possible to get the recruits to the chow hall.

"You gotta be shitting me. Why the hell is she here and not..."

"We'll talk about this later. Get them some food right now."

"Understood," he nodded before turning his attention back to the platoon, "PLATOON! FOWARD MARCH!"

"This is going to be close." Ellison mumbled under his breath, watching as the platoon marched off, deciding to run to the chow hall and warn the staff of recruit Wolff's dietary requirements.

* * *

><p><em>That was weird. I wonder why the Senior was in such a hurry to get us to the chow hall. Not that I'm complaining...food sounds good right about now.<em> As that thought shot through Hew's mind, he couldn't help but notice that Wolff was still shaking and seemed to be sweating more then she should before being in the pit for only five minutes. Her usually prominent steps seemed to be weaker, almost as if she opted just to let her heels scoff along the ground instead of doing the proper march like the rest of the recruits.

"Hey...You ok?" Hew whispered, keeping his face blank and staring straight over her head as they marched so that the DI couldn't hear.

"I don't know...I really don't know." She replied back, her voice just as low but it shook.

_ I wonder what's wrong? Why is she shaking so much? Wait...is her skin turning blue? What the hell is going on? _Hew was beginning to really worry, as the only time he remembered seeing someone's skin turn blue, was when a friend had fallen into a frozen lake and drowned. The weather was far warmer then that, in fact, it was nice enough to be comfortable outside with just a t-shirt. He didn't understand what was going on with Wolff. Was she sick? Was she going to be all right? Either way, he didn't know.

_Oh shit...oh shit...oh shit. I don't think I can hold out much longer._ Kitrina thought as she was starting to feel the tickle in the back of her head that always happened when she used her Biotics, or got ready to use them. _Please God, not here. Not now. Let me hold out till I get something to eat. _She thought, slightly wincing as she took in a long breath, hoping that it would help her hold off the electric tingle that was steadily growing stronger with each step she took.

As the platoon made it to the chow hall, Hew noticed small, barely visible blue tendrils of energy running across her skin that nearly blended perfectly with it's fair tone. _Why the hell am I noticing her skin? It's probably because of the blue stuff...What the hell is that blue stuff anyways?_ He almost jumped when one of the tendrils jumped from Wolff, to him, but was surprised when it didn't hurt. It felt kinda pleasant actually. Once the ethereal tendril touched his skin, it sent a warm tingle all over his arm, like he had submerged it in a bucket of warm, soothing water. _What was that? _He thought, having to smile slightly at the sensation that continued to course over his skin. When Wolff suddenly fell to the ground and brought her knees to her chest, Hew froze, watching the shaking nearly completely take over and her face contort into a harsh, an unflattering cringe of pain. _What the hell!_ Hew thought as the blue coloration on Wolff's skin started to get darker and more pronounced.

Kitrina was holding on with all she had to keep the power back, but it hurt, it hurt so much. The amount of pain that was beginning to stab in the back of her neck was making her whole body spike with a sharp snapping pain that she nearly couldn't take it anymore. This was worse then when it happened at home. The pain was beyond what she experienced before and no one was her to help her...Not this time. That's why she was so surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard Shepard trying to ask her what was wrong. She was using so much of her will power to hold it back, that she couldn't answer him tell him to get away from her before something happened. She might not like him, but that didn't mean she wanted to kill him, no matter how much he had wronged others in his past.

Hew's worry persisted, much like he had been all day, what with the reading thing and the tests that were looming in his future and now this. Wolff wasn't able to talk and the other recruits had backed away from them, boring holes into the back of his head as they watched in not just confusion, but shock. He gently laid his other hand on Wolff's other shoulder and turned her so he could see her face, seeing that it did indeed, show that she was in pain as a singular tear slowly drifted down her cheek.

Kitrina let him turn her, not having the will or the strength to refuse as the pain engulfed her entire body. When she opened her eyes, she saw Shepard looking back at her, trying to find out what was wrong but not seeing anything that readily told him. All he saw was the ethereal aura that had been steadily deepening and growing in it's intensity. When her eyes met his, there was...a moment when the pain went away, or at least dulled enough where she could finally speak.

"H-Hew...R-Run." was all she could say and that was no more then just a whisper.

Hew's eyes widened when Wolff used his name but it was so quiet he barley heard it at all. When he felt her suddenly tense, he pulled her against him on pure reflex, much like he had done when a friend back in the gang had been shot. He had done it to keep them warm and as it turned out, it kept them alive just long enough for the medics to get there and save their life...but, the friend went to jail afterward because of an outstanding warrant. In the next instant, a bright flash of light enveloped them both, extending all around them in every direction but what caught Hew off guard, was that it didn't hurt. It felt like the small tendril that had touched his skin earlier. There was no pain what so ever, only the gentle, tingling sensation that hummed all over his body and he felt a slight pushing sensation against his chest. When he felt Wolff go limp in his arms, he finally glanced down, seeing that she had passed out from whatever the hell, just happened.

_ I'm sorry...I didn't want this to happen. You didn't deserve to die. I'm so sorry Hew. _Kitrina thought, just before her world went black.

* * *

><p>GySgt. Ellison made it to the door just as Recruit Wolff fell to the ground and the other recruits stared in bewilderment. <em>Oh shit...This is so bad and what the hell is Shepard doing? He has no idea what is happening!<em> As Ellison watched, the other DI was able to get the rest of the recruits back, but Shepard seemed to ignore the DI as he focused on Wolff. When Wolff suddenly tensed, he saw Shepard pull her tight to his body in a subconscious action that he had seen before, probably in hopes that it would somehow help. Ellison's eyes widened as he watched the blue, Biotic pulse emit from Wolff, but pass harmlessly over Shepard to flip tables and chairs as it expanded outwards. _What? Why didn't it harm him? _

The next thing Ellison saw, was Shepard holding Wolff in a bridal carry and he kept looking at him, his eyes screaming for what to do next while periodically glancing down at the unconscious girl in his arms. All Ellison could do was push through the crowd and hustle them both to the infirmary. When he got them to the infirmary, he finally turned and glared down Shepard like he had just committed a crime...well...another one considering whom he was talking to.

"What the hell were you thinking Shepard! You could have been killed!" Ellison barked angrily, furious that the kid had already disobeyed an order and he hadn't even graduated basic training yet.

That's when Shepard did the craziest thing. After he put Wolff on the exam table, he spun to the Senior Drill Instructor, grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall, all without even thinking about what the hell he was doing.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS I DOING! FUCK THAT! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO WOLFF! YOU PARTNERED ME WITH HER AND FAIL TO MENTION SHE'S A FUCKING BIOTIC! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND!" the rage in Shepard's eyes made Ellison's blood run cold, as he had only seen that look in men who have killed and were good at it. _How dose a 19 year old have that look?_

"Put me down Shepard." Ellison was barley able to say, due to the fact that his Charlie shirt and undershirt were being held tight against his throat.

When Shepard didn't react, he placed a hand on the kid's arm and repeated his order, "Put. Me. Down. Shepard." he hissed, the vein in his forehead pulsing as his blood pressure rose.

Shepard's fuming, murderous gaze faded as he blinked a couple of times, realizing where he was and what he was doing. He dropped the Senior Drill Instructor and took a couple steps back, raking his hands down his face and over his head as he tried to bring his temper back under control. _Fuck...Fuck, fuck, fuck. I'm going to jail...My ass is getting thrown in jail and I'm never coming out. _

Ellison smoothed out his shirt and looked down at Shepard, whom was sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. _Why is he so attached to her and why didn't her Biotics affect him?_ He thought, clasping his hands behind his back as the doctor entered and took in on the situation.

"What happened? Training accident?" the doctor asked blankly, shifting her eyes between the DI and the recruit in the bed.

"Uh...no. Recruit Wolff had a...well she had a Biotic flare." Ellison answered, staring at the unconscious girl.

The doctor just stared at Ellison, then at Wolff before she noticed the male recruit slumped in the chair in the corner.

"What's he doing here? Was he involved in the incident?"

"Actually...he was the one that her Biotic flare didn't affect for some reason. Any ideas why that might be doc?" Ellison answered.

"I'll have to run some tests but I'm pretty sure she just needs fluids to replace the sugar and electrolytes that her body used up. Now about why her Biotics had no effect on him, I'll have to contact some specialists to find out." the doctor reported with a light shrug as she glanced down at her datapad.

"So...she's going to be ok... right?" Ellison asked, actually feeling worried about the young girl, as he didn't enjoy seeing them hurt.

The doctor nodded, "Yeah, she'll be fine after I get fluids in her," she turned to the girl in the bed, "Now...if you will leave so I can get to work."

"Understood doctor...We'll be on our way...Recruit Shepard, get up and get back to the squad bay." Ellison ordered, putting his DI facade back into place.

Shepard stood up slowly, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders and left the room, scuffing his heels while he headed for the door. Unbeknownst to him however, the doctor watched as he left with a studious expression on her face.

The doctor kept an eye on Recruit Shepard as he left and was brought out of her thoughts when Ellison suddenly yelled for her, his voice not loud per say, but urgent none the less. She spun around to see that Recruit Wolff's skin had begun to get a Biotic aura once again, shimmering lightly as the same tendrils from before danced through the air.

"What the hell?...She shouldn't be able do that," her brows furrowed as she watched the tendrils, "You said she flared at the chow hall right?"

"Yeah she did. It was a big one too. Flipped tables and chairs and all kinds of things." Ellison quietly explained.

The doctor watched as the aura grew darker and more active, threatening to envelop everything in sight which included them but a thought hit her, for the timing was too much of a coincidence.

"Recruit Shepard! Get in here!" the doctor ordered, producing the same demanding tone that the DI's themselves constantly used.

GySgt Ellison watched as Shepard entered the exam room, still with the same, heavy posture he had when he left and he noticed, that the closer he drew to Wolff, the calmer her Biotics got. When he stood next to her and placed his hand on her's, the Biotic aura completely faded. Shepard looked from Wolff ,to Ellison to and finally to the Doctor, his eyes asking just what the hell was going on as they narrowed in question.

"What the hell just happened?" Ellison asked, his expression mirroring Shepard's.

"I have no idea. I was guessing it might work but I was thinking it was a long shot. It seems...that even when unconscious, Recruit Wolff can tell when Recruit Shepard is near and doesn't need to protect herself. It seems she sees Shepard as a safe presence as it were. I wonder why that is?" the doctor paused for a moment, in thought, "OK...I want to try something. GySgt Ellison I want you to step outside."

Ellison looked at the doctor before glancing at Recruit Wolff for a brief moment, trying to figure out what the doctor was planning as he stepped outside.

The doctor watched Recruit Wolff intently, seeing no change with the monitors or her Biotics.

"Ok...GySgt, you can come back in. Now...Recruit Shepard, I want you to step outside."

Hew looked between the doctor and Wolff, finding that he was glaring rather angrily and unsure if he should follow the order. He finally tore his eyes away and looked up to the Senior, whom nodded, giving Shepard the ok to do so. He took one last look at Wolff before removing his hand and heading for the door.

The doctor watched the monitors start to react the moment Recruit Shepard's hand left her's, though it didn't get interesting till Shepard walked through the door. That's when her Biotics start to flare like they had before.

"Recruit Shepard...Please return to Recruit Wolff."

As Shepard returned to her side, the doctor kept an eye on the monitors and watched as the readings stabilized once more. _This is very interesting, _"Recruit Shepard...I'm going to ask you a question and I'll need a true answer...Understand?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Have you and Recruit Wolff ever met before?"

"No Ma'am."

"Have you and Recruit Wolff ever been intimate?"

Shepard's eyes narrowed, "No Ma'am."

"Are you sure? I need you to be truthful with me." the doctor took off the harsh, emotionless mask for her true demeanor which was more indicative of the situation.

"I have never been intimate with Recruit Wolff. I'm sure I would remember that. Ma'am" Shepard sneered.

"Understood Recruit Shepard. Onto another question...What did her Biotics feel like when they washed over you?"

"Well...um...they felt...warm, peaceful I guess. Like a warm hug or something like that I guess." he shrugged.

"Huh...I'll have to contact some specialists to get the whole understanding. GySgt, I hate to ask this but I will need Recruit Shepard to stay here. Will that be a problem?"

"No...That shouldn't be an issue...Recruit Shepard, do you have your Recruit Knowledge?" Ellison demanded to know.

Hew looked up at the Senior DI, "Yes Sir." he removed it from his cargo pocket and showed the Drill Instructor the datapad.

"Good...When the Doctor doesn't need you, you will be reading...That understood?"

"Yes Sir."

"Good...Doctor when you have any information, please let me know."

"Understood GySgt...If that is all, Please, have a nice day as I have work to do."

After the Senior Drill Instructor left, Hew settled into the chair next to Kitrina's bed and started memorizing the Recruit Knowledge...well...not actually reading the information, more like taking a mental picture of what the page looked like as he had nothing else to do. He would glance up at Wolff every once in a while and kept his ears open for any sound from her or the Doctor, just in case one of them needed anything.

Several hours passed before Hew heard rustling from the exam table. When he looked up, he noticed Wolff was looking right at him with a blank face.

_Where am I? How did I get here? Oh...Shepard is here...Wait...Shepard is here and he's not dead? How did he survive? _She thought, slightly confused as to what had transpired.

"How you doing? Light headed, hungry, dizzy, anything feel off?" Hew asked quietly, "Hey doc...She's up." he called over his shoulder.

The doctor came over and checked Wolff's vitals, reflexes and took blood samples for her records, "How are you feeling young lady? Has this happened before? Anything you want to tell me?"

"Um...I'm fine Doctor. A little light headed maybe and a little hungry but fine...really I'm good." Kitrina said, wanting very much to sit up.

"Well...I'm going to run some tests and hold you for a little bit longer, just to make sure you don't have another flare...Ok?"

"I understand doctor...Thank you." Kitrina turned her head and looked at Shepard whom seemed to be reading his Recruit Knowledge. "Are you ok?"

Hew looked up, "Yeah...I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"I thought...well...what with the flare you might have gotten hurt...or worse." she glanced up as she watched the doctor leave the room, leaving them alone to talk for a bit while she ran her tests.

Hew let a small smirk cross his face, "You think you can hurt me? That's cute...No...I'm fine. You did pass out though. That was different...It happened after that flare thing."

"I...well...it doesn't happen very often. I try not to let it happen at all actually. It's a bit embarrassing to say the least." she felt her cheeks start to burn, as her Biotics had become a closely guarded secret of her own...now everyone knew.

"I can see that...Leaves you a bit open afterwards doesn't it. Does that always happen when you use your Biotics?" Hew asked, setting his datapad down.

"Uh...no, it doesn't. You seem a bit indifferent to the fact that I'm a Biotic. Doesn't it scare you in the least?" Kitrina's brows furrowed as a little more confusion set in.

"To be honest Wolff, I don't care. So you can do stuff with your mind...who cares. You never used it on me and you never tried to kill me. Plus...it would take a lot more then a light show, no matter how big it was, to scare me," he huffed a soft laugh, "Anyhow...your teaching me to read so I'm not going to run off anytime soon. I kinda need to know how."

"Really? Is that the only reason you stuck around? Because I'm teaching you to read?" she felt a quick pang of anger in her chest.

"Well...not exactly...I was kinda ordered to but it's not like they had to twist my arm."

Kitrina was a bit surprised at that last part, as she had figured that Hew was just using her to get through boot camp. _When did I start thinking of him as 'Hew,' _"So how long was I out?" both eyeballed the doctor as she reentered the exam room with her datapad.

"A few hours. I only got through a few chapters in the R.K. When your all better, we need to get back to the Squad Bay. You ready to go?" Hew asked, picking up his datapad once more and slipping it back into it's pocket.

Kitrina sat up, taking stock of herself and straightening out her uniform, "Sure...I'm good to go if Doc says I can," she turned her glance to the doctor, "Doc...Am I cleared to go back to the squad bay?" she asked kindly.

The doctor looked up from her datapad, "All the tests came back clean. Just make sure you eat and get plenty of rest."

Hew stood up and grasped Wolff by her waist, easily lifting her from the exam table and placed her on the deck, "Ready to go? We need to get back to the squad bay before those DI's come looking for us. I really don't want that to happen." he huffed another laugh.

Kitrina was about to replay when a thought crossed her mind. _I had a Biotic flare. The whole platoon saw me. How am I gonna deal with that?_ "Um...yeah...I guess I'm ready." she sighed.

Hew caught the look that crossed Wolff's face and it was very clearly fear, "Are you sure? Your saying you are but your face is speaking volumes and is saying different." Hew crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down.

Kitrina froze, "What do you mean? I'm fine...really...let's go" she urged.

_Bullshit, _"Sure you are...and I'm the Prime Minister of Earth. You can lie to them. Hell, you can lie to yourself but don't try and lie to me. What's bothering you?" Hew pushed, seeing the flash of uncertainty dance across her eyes.

Kitrina looked at Hew. _Their I go again. _"I had a Biotic flare Shepard. The whole platoon saw it. Now they all know I'm a Biotic. what am I going to do? They'll hate me...or fear me." she scoffed.

Hew just stared at her, his eyes narrowing and his brows pulling together, "What? Why would they do that? Because of that light show? I'm not understanding what's wrong with being a Biotic?" he shook his head slightly as he lead them both towards the exit.

_Could he really not know about the stigma? The near racism towards Biotics? _"Shepard...people fear what they don't understand and people don't understand Biotics. Biotics are attacked, some are even killed. The only place we are accepted is in the Military. That and Merc groups. The former is why I'm here...and the latter...the latter is not an option. So you see why I'm a bit freaked?" she sighed, clearly getting more and more nervous the closer they got to the squad bay.

_ You got to be shitting me. They fear her because of the circumstances of her birth? Maybe I should give them something to really fear. _"How bout this...If they mess with you, I'll mess with them. How's that sound? Deal?" he sent her a sidelong glance and popped an eyebrow as he waited for her reply.

"What? Are you serious? You'll act as what...my bodyguard or something? I don't think that's a good idea." _ That has to be the weirdest thing he has ever said to me. Why would he offer that? because I'm helping him? _

"The offer stands. If you need my help, just say so." _Why the hell am I offering that? Do I really care that much?...Yeah right...Whatever, _"Let's get going. We don't want to miss chow or anything." he poked, once side of his mouth curling into a crooked grin.

"Ha ha...Very funny."

* * *

><p>The doctor watched as the two recruits left before turning her attention to her terminal. <em>This is interesting. I'll need to send this to GySgt Ellison and confer with others but...if this is right, then we may have come across the next step of Human Biotics. God...this is amazing! I hope I'm right about this. <em>The doctor was more excited than she should have been but what she just discovered, could get her published again.

"I wonder if they have any idea what they represent?" she softly mumbled to herself as she started to daydream about the future this discovery could present.

Some time later, the doctor was interrupted by two officers from the Alliance when they burst through her door. Two hours later, the doctor, all her notes and all e-mails were gone from MCRD Mars, and all records were sealed.


	3. Chapter 3: None Shall Pass

Chapter 3: None Shall Pass

(Hey everyone we got the Talk and type fixed. Attention,Attention BioWare owns all: Mass Effect, My Soul, and my truck's Pink Slip probably. _ Saw their Logo in wired places this Morning, and I don't remember getting that tattoo. I'm a bit scared._) But Kitrina is still Lycanwolff's.

A.N: Sorry for the long wait for an update, had family stuff to deal with and I found the one spot in the U.S. That doesn't even have a Starbucks so no WiFi. Surprisingly not Utah color me shocked.

* * *

><p>Several weeks have passed since Wolff's Biotic incident and as the knowledge test grew closer, tension rose, and the rumors spread like wild fire.<p>

_Why wasn't Shepard affected?_

_ Oh their probably sleeping together. _

_ Wolff's a Biotic...She's probably controlling his mind with her mind powers. _

_ Be careful around them. They'll probably both go insane._

Hew was indifferent about the rumors, but he had noticed that they seemed to bother Wolff and he couldn't figure out why. He, himself, had dealt with rumors his whole life and he never let them affect him...Hell, sometimes they were a good thing. They meant people usually thought twice when crossing his path and the ones whom dared, usually ended up regretting it.

Hew looked down to the rack below his, seeing Wolff staring blankly at her knowledge datapad but picking at her fingernails and not really paying attention to the information scrawled across it's screen.

"Hey Wolff...You ok? You seem a bit distracted?" Hew asked, sitting on the top rack and looking down at her, sitting on the lower rack.

Kitrina looked up from her datapad with a blank expression, "Huh? What?"

One of Hew's brows arced, "You seem distracted...Is it the rumors?" he repeated, reading her expression easily.

"What? No...I could care less about the rumors." she lied, not looking Hew in the eyes.

Hew easily saw through her, "Wolff...Remember what I said about lying? especially to me?"

"Yeah, I remember," she sighed, flopping her palms down onto her not so comfortable mattress, "Ok, you want the truth?"

"I did ask didn't I?" he set down his datapad and slipped off his rack to sit next to her so she could whisper.

"Fine...The rumors are bugging me. The fact that the platoon knows I'm a Biotic..." she said quietly, sighing as she looked down at her hands.

Hew shrugged, "Ok...So they know your a Biotic. I don't see what the big deal is. You get to eat more at the chow hall...So what?" he glanced around the squad bay, catching a few incredulous looks from the other recruits.

Kitrina just stared at him. _He can't be serious. Can he still not get it? _"Remember what I told you about how people feel towards people like me?" she glared.

Hew shrugged again, "Yeah...I still don't understand why though. I think it would be a cool to be able to do what you can do."

Kitrina just continued looking at him, just blinking her eyes, "You really mean that don't you." she stated, not really asking as she was sure she knew the answer.

"Yep. You have a gift...Like a musician or an artist. Don't try to hide what you are. That's a good way to get yourself hurt." he said, wondering what hole in his twisted little mind he had managed to find that little piece tidbit.

Kitrina never thought about it that way, or thought she would ever hear it from someone like Hew Shepard. She had spent her whole life trying to hide her Biotics from the public, worried of what they might do if they found out they were in close proximity to 'someone like her'. Her parents, her tutors and the doctors on the ships she grew up on were the only ones who knew, but it took Hew, an Earth born street thug to make her see that her Biotics weren't a curse. Funny how that worked.

"You really think that Biotics are a gift? You really think that?" she tried not to sound unbelieving but lightly cringed when she heard herself speak.

"How come it sounds like you are trying convince yourself?" Hew caught the tone in her voice.

Kitrina sat in thought and was about to respond when the Drill Instructors announced it was time for chow.

"ALL RIGHT YOU SHITSTICKS! GRAB YOUR GEAR AND FALL IN! TIME TO GET YOU FED!"

As the recruits filed out of the squad bay to form up for chow as quickly as they always had when the DI's screamed their orders. Hew couldn't help but smile as he fell in, as he was now the Third squad leader. He was proud that he was now in charge of 24 other recruits. It felt like old times...except no one was trying to kill him this time. Hew checked his squad and risked a quick look at Wolff's, shaking his head. Though they were still one of the better squads, he noticed that they seemed to not move as quickly as they used to when she was first made their squad leader. Ever since he had gotten his promotion, he noticed that Wolff had begun to a little trouble maintaining her squad's cohesion. As Third Squad Leader, he had the ability to step in but held back, as he didn't want to hurt Wolff's authority. That was something he had learned hard and fast when running the streets. You never usurp someone's authority weather they be friend or foe.

Kitrina knew her squad had little respect for her ever since Hew got promoted and got his own squad. She had always felt like they were boring fiery holes into the back of her head since they found out she was a Biotic and when Shepard was promoted, the heat had gotten turned up.

As Kitrina got her squad in line, she noticed it was taking longer each time. She glanced over at Hew's squad and couldn't help but smile, but it was laced with a sense of discontent, as she wished her's was still as obedient. Hew's squad had risen from the bottom of the ranking to the first in efficiency and discipline with her own a close second. As she observed his squad, she caught his eye and couldn't help but return the slight smile that was on his lips. It felt reassuring to know that he was there to watch her back as it were. Kitrina composed herself, standing in front of her squad at parade rest and awaiting for the DI's so she could report.

"FIRST SQUAD...ALL PRESANT AND ACCOUNTED FOR SIR!"

"SECOUND SQUAD...ALL PRESANT AND ACCOUNTED FOR SIR!"

When the DI stood in front of Hew, he snapped to the position of attention, rendered a salute and reported at the top of his lungs, "THIRD SQUAD...ALL PRESANT AND ACCOUNTED FOR SIR!"

After Hew reported and the DI returned the salute, he returned to Parade Rest with one sharp movement.

Now the DI stood in front of Kitrina, causing her to snap to the position of attention, rendered her salute and report just like the others, "FORTH SQUAD...ALL PRESANT AND ACCOUNTED FOR SIR!"

The DI stood in front of Forth Squad for a couple of extra seconds, seeming lost in thought as he returned the salute, did a right face, marched to the left and center of the platoon, rendered another salute to the Senior Drill Instructor and reported.

"ALL SQUADS...PRESANT AND ACCOUNTED FOR SIR!"

GySgt Ellison looked over the formation, then nodded, "Carry out the plan of the day!" he returned the salute.

The Drill Instructor then preformed an about face, "Platoon! Attention! Forward! March! Left! Right! Left! Right!..."

As the platoon made its way to the chow hall, Hew thought back on all the things Wolff told him about how 'normal' people viewed Biotics, but he just couldn't understand why they did. _If I had her abilities, I would have been unstoppable. The food would have been an issue but hell, to be able to do what a Biotic could do... _The barking order from the DI snapped him from his thoughts.

"Platoon! HALT!"

The platoon halted and stood at the position of attention, awaiting their orders like always.

"Four...Three...One and Two! Attack my Chow Hall!"

As the squads peeled off to line up for chow, Hew stood off to the side with the other Squad Leaders and the Guide, watching the Platoon fill in single file. He was surprised to hear grumbling from the other Squad Leaders, as normally, everyone kept their mouth shut.

"Wonder if 'Little Miss Biotic' is gonna have an episode?" one squad leader started to groan.

Hew couldn't help but speak up, "You speak of that which you don't understand. It would behoove you to keep your mouth shut." _Now why did I do that? Back in the Reds, I wouldn't have cared as long as it wasn't directed at me._

The other Squad Leaders were slightly startled, as Shepard rarely spoke more then needed and only to Wolff in any event.

"And what makes you the expert 'Street Rat'?" the first Squad Leader quipped as he felt that his position had offered him protection from reappraisal.

Hew raised an eyebrow at the old, very old derogatory term, "Do I look like a cartoon charter to you? You really need to work on your insults 'kid'." he waved him off.

"I'm no 'kid' 'Street Trash'. We all know the only reason your a Squad Leader is because the DI's take pity on you and you know it. So don't get all high and mighty on me." the recruit fired back, still not worried about any repercussions that could come his way.

Hew just rolled his neck to loosen his muscles, as talking with the First and Second Squad Leaders was an exercise in futility. Hew considered them both idiots.

"You really want to go there Samith? I'm pretty sure if we took this to the mat, it will settle in my favor." Hew stared down at the short male.

First Squad Leader, Recruit Samith, just swallowed as he remembered well what happened to the last recruit that challenged Shepard to the mat. That's how he got his position as Third Squad Leader. The old Squad Leader thought it would be fun to humble the older recruit and in the aftermath, was on the ground screaming in pain with Shepard knelling on his back and holding the former Squad Leader's arm at an odd angle with a wicked grin spread on his face. Ever since then, the DI's put forth a unique challenge: If you have a problem...take it to the mat.

"No...I don't think that will be necessary. It's time for us to go in anyways."

Hew chuckled as the First and Second Squad Leaders went inside a bit quicker then needed. As Hew was about to enter, the Guide grasped his arm.

"Is there going to be a problem Shepard?" the Guide asked, somewhat cringing at having to use Hew's name.

Hew locked eyes with the Guide, as he was the only one able to look him in the eyes, "Not any I'm going to start. Keep your 'buddies' under control and I'll watch after Wolff and myself. Understood?"

"I can live with that Shepard. As long as you don't start anything, we are cool," the Guide remained silent for a moment, seemingly sizing Shepard up, "Why do you care what they say about Wolff anyways? I mean yeah...she's cute but you can't do anything about that till after graduation." his lips slightly quirked into a soft crooked grin.

Hew was surprised by the remark, and more then a little suspicious, "I'd quit while you're ahead. Your ignorance is starting to show." _What do you expect? he's only seventeen...Damn kids don't really understand anything. _He relaxed his shoulders once the Guide released his hold on his arm and entered the Chow Hall.

As Hew entered the Chow Hall, a quick glance told him that his squad was eating under the watchful eyes of the DI table. Being a Squad Leader had its advantages, that's for sure. One such advantage was the ability to walk around and not have to stay in his seat the whole time. The Drill Instructors liked the Squad Leaders to maintain control and discipline. As Hew was making his rounds, he noticed Wolff getting food and something to drink, but that wasn't the only thing he saw. The two Squad Leaders were heading straight toward her. Hew held back until he knew what was going to happen but unbeknownst to him, he wasn't the only one watching.

* * *

><p>GySgt Ellison had kept an eye on Recruit Wolff ever since her flare. Hell...he had been keeping an eye on Recruit Shepard as well. Today was no exception and watching the two Squad Leaders moving to intercept, started to set off alarms. But to be honest, he was more interested in Shepard's reaction to the brewing situation. He noticed that Shepard had his eyes glued to Wolff and was keeping the two Squad Leaders in his peripheral vision, just like he had expected with Shepard's background. Ellison realized that Shepard was waiting for the two Squad Leaders to cross some line, some barrier that was only visible to him. When Ellison saw Cpl. Fredricks move to intervene, he stopped him.<p>

"Hold fast...I want to see where this goes." Ellison halted quietly, keeping his eyes on the recruits.

"With all do respect Gunny...Are you willing to risk a flare? Or something worse?" Fredricks retorted.

"We'll step in if needed but I want to see what Shepard does."

"Shepard? Why the interest? What could he do?" Fredricks glanced from Recruit Shepard, then to the two Squad Leaders before looking at Recruit Wolff and back to Shepard, "Gunny, do you think this is a good idea? I mean...you do remember what happened to the Squad Leader that Shepard replaced right? He's still in medical."

"I am aware of what happens in my Squad Bay Cpl. Fredricks and yes, I do think this is a good idea. I gave Recruit Shepard a task. I'm eager to see how far he is willing to go to carry it out. Now sit down and let this play out. I missed my soaps today and I need my fix." Ellison replied with a smirk.

* * *

><p>As the Squad Leaders closed in on Wolff and crossed that invisible barrier, Hew made his move. He moved quickly and quietly, coming in behind the two recruits and proceeded to wait for them to make the first move.<p>

Kitrina had made sure her squad was fed and was getting her own food when she got the feeling that some one was watching her. It was a feeling that rarely left these days. When she glanced over her shoulder, all she saw was Hew and he seemed to be making sure that his squad was eating. She turned back to the tray and finished getting her water. That's when she was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She was forcefully turned around to come face to face with two of her fellow Squad Leaders.

"Um...Whats up?" she stood rigid, trying to keep her composure.

The two Squad Leaders glanced at each other before looking back at Wolff, a sly grin crossing Samith's face. There was no warmth in that smile.

"Me and Grager have been watching you 'Little Miss Biotic'. You seem to be getting special treatment from the DI's and we don't like that. You see...Grager and me had to earn our positions as Squad Leaders. You got yours because of your freaky mind powers. We feel you should step down and give the spot to Hanson. If you do it, it would be...in your best interest. The best for the platoon kinda thing. We really don't need some one like you...representing us or even a squad for that matter." Samith demanded and still wearing that evil, up to no good grin.

Kitrina was dumbfounded. _They can't be serious, _"What? I don't understand. What do you mean someone like me?" her brows began to come together, scrunching her pretty face into an angering sneer.

"Come on...you can't be that dense. A Biotic...A Freak. That makes the Platoon look bad. Hell, you shouldn't even be here. Don't they send things like you off to some place where you can't mingle with normal people?" his eyes unknowingly scanned her figure.

"Jump Zero I think...Yeah, Jump Zero." Grager supplied.

They had called her a thing...She was pissed, "I'm not a freak! You want me to step down because I'm a Biotic! that's just stupid! I'd still be in the platoon anyways so it makes no difference if I'm a Squad Leader or not. I'm not going to step down." she defended.

_She wants to play hardball, _"You see...if you step down, then we'll be able to get you dropped. All we need is a 3/4 vote to drop a recruit for lack of 'Esprit De Corps' and then, you get sent to some place where your kind belongs. We were really hoping that you would see reason here Wolff. You belong with more of your kind, not here with us. I'd say this is going to hurt you more then us but my mama raised me to be honest."

Kitrina didn't know what to do as Samith reached out, but before his hand could touch, her a large hand grasped Samith's wrist.

"I don't think that is a wise idea Samith. Be a good boy and go sit down before I have to make you." Hew threatened through clenched teeth.

"Are you serious? Make me? I'm the First Squad Leader. I tell you what to do 'Street Trash'. Chain of command goes one way...Down...And you're at the bottom." Samith spat, trying to free his captured wrist.

"Is that what you think? Well...a wise man once said "The Chain of Command is the chain I beat you with." So if you don't go sit down right now, I may have to demonstrate that fact." Hew's eyes narrowed as he tightened his grip.

Samith was a bit hesitant at first, but then noticed Grager had slowly moved behind Shepard and it gave him a burst of courage, "I'd like to see you try that 'Street Trash'."

Hew couldn't believe that Samith and Grager were going to do this but he figured..._What the hell...Haven't had a good fight in a long time._ Hew's well developed situational awareness told him someone was behind and moving towards him. He simply pulled Samith towards him in a quick jerk and slipped to the left, causing Samith to slam into Grager. The impact from their collision knocked the air from both recruits, rendering them useless in the fight they had started. Maintaining his grip, Hew twisted Samith's arm into an awkward angle, causing him to yell out as the pain shot through his arm. That seemed to be a signal of some sort, as several other recruits jumped from their tables and rushed Hew.

_Oh yeah...Fun times are a coming. _Hew easily kept them at bay. It was like fighting children in his eyes. He was actually starting to have fun...that is until he saw one of the recruits grab a knife and head straight for Wolff. _It's all fun and games until someone pulls a knife. I need to end this fast. _Hew was a blur, keeping Samith out of the fray by simply breaking his arm. The snap was heard throughout the Chow hall and as was Samith's scream, as it was heard across the Recruit Depot. He then zeroed in on the recruit with the knife as he was about to take a swipe at Wolff. The down stroke of the knife caught Hew on his arm, drawing blood and it seemed to egg the recruit on as he saw the deep red seeping through Hew's clothes. On the back slash, Hew trapped his arm and bent the wrist beyond what it was supposed to do, causing the knife to tumble to the ground with a clattering echo. After the knife fell, he brought his knee up to the assailants solar plexus, causing him to exhale violently and flop to the deck. Hew brought his free hand into a flat edge strike across his throat, crushing it and therefore, preventing him from getting up. That was the last thing Hew remembered clearly.

He entered a Fugue State, all conscious thought was suspended as his body took over. He no longer had to think about how or where his next strike would land, his body already knew and it took complete and full advantage of it.

The next thing Hew knew, he was standing over Wolff and there were five recruits on the ground, not moving. The rest were either being held back by the DI's, or other recruits that had no desire to get mixed into the fray. He started to feel dizzy, his body incredibly tense and he was unable to loosen his muscles from their taught state. He could hear his heart hammering in his ears and his breath was becoming increasingly difficult to get into his lungs. Hew looked around and finally found his Senior Drill Instructor, standing in front of of a few recruits, keeping them at bay.

"I...don't feel so good...Sir." was the last thing he said before he passed out.

Kitrina was amazed. Hew was a blur and she couldn't keep up with how fast he moved. He was holding three recruits back and deflecting the attacks like he knew before they did what they were going to do. After several minutes, one of the assailants fell to Hew's strikes. The scary part, was that Hew wasn't wasting any movements. The strikes were undisciplined but still powerful. Every time he made contact, someone fell and fell hard. During the fight, Kitrina felt warm wetness hit her face but when she reached up and wiped it off, she saw it was blood. She had no idea who's it was but she knew it was one of the recruits. That is until she saw the gash on Hew's arm. _My god! I can't believe that he got hurt defending me. _

Kitrina was brought out of her thoughts as the last recruit fell, rendering the Chow Hall back into silence with the exception of a couple low groans of pain. When she looked up to see Hew standing above her like some Gladiator, blood all over his arms, chest and face, she couldn't move. All she could do was stare at the blood until he spoke. When he had collapsed, she just stared a moment until she reached out and grabbed his arm, trying to stop the bleeding. _So much blood! No one can lose that much blood and stay awake...let alone live. What can I do? I can't let him die. Not him...not now. _

As she was starting to panic, she didn't notice the faint blue aura that started to engulf her body. When she looked up to see the Senior Drill Instructor heading straight toward her, she heard Hew's breathing grow shallow and she started to worry. She watched in amazement as her Biotic aura spread along his wounded arm, wrapping it in the same soft blue as her's and was even more surprised as she watched the gash slowly start to seal. Kitrina looked up at GySgt Ellison with fear in her eyes, as this had never happened before.

* * *

><p>GySgt Ellison was keeping an eye on the confrontation that was starting to develop. As Shepard caught Samith's hand, despite not being able to hear what was said, it was apparent that it upset Shepard. After the comment, recruit Grager lunged at Shepard which was quickly apparent the wrong thing to do.<p>

Ellison was dumbfounded. This had never happened before and what started as a small confrontation, escalated into a full blown riot. The other DI's were just as shocked as their own platoons joined in. The fact they all seemed to zero in on Wolff was even more of a surprise.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR! BREAK UP THE FUCKING FIGHT" Ellison bellowed. _Just what the flying fuck happened? _

An ear shattering scream seemed to trigger this whole thing and it just went down hill from there. As he went along with the other DI's, starting to pull the recruits back and getting some kind of control in place, he watched as best he could at the spectacle. When he finally made it to the center of the mob he made eye contact with Shepard

"I don't feel so good Sir." was all the young man before he passed out.

What he saw next was even more surprising. Wolff seemed to glow. At first, he feared she would flare but instead of moving outward, the aura flowed down her arms onto Shepard's gash and to everyone's amazement, it not only stopped the bleeding but seemed to start to heal the deep gash. He had never seen anything like it before. Never even heard of it. _These two seem to be rewriting all the rules._ At this point the damn M.P.s arrived.

* * *

><p>LCpl. Harkin never really liked being in the Alliance Marines. Yeah, it got him a job and money for school but the ASVAT or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Test, identified him as an M.P. Like he wanted to be a Marine Cop. <em>At least my times almost up and my last duty assignment is an easy one. <em>He thought to himself but the beeping from his terminal drew his attention from his musing.

"What the hell? A riot at the chow hall? You have got to be shitting me," he groaned, "Rodriguez, Blankenship,Weston...Grab you gear. We have work to do!"

As the M.P's climbed into the transport, Harkin had no idea what to expect but what he saw, he never would have expected.

"ZERO!" Harkin yelled

From every corner of the chow hall, he heard the standard reply to the term, "Freeze! Recruit freeze!" all movement stopped.

As Harken looked around, he couldn't help but be a little impressed. The Chow Hall was in utter disarray. Tables were flipped, chairs were smashed, food was everywhere and in the center of it all were seven recruits. Five were face down unconscious or otherwise unresponsive but the last two drew his attention. A female recruit seemed to be cradling a male and she was glowing. _Wait...she's glowing? What the hell is going on? _LCpl. Harkin quickly identified the Senior Drill Instructors, as they were wearing their shiny black belts that identified them as such.

Harkin walked up to the group of Staff NCO's, "Can anyone explain to me what happened here? And who do those two recruits belong to? Oh yeah...and why the hell is that female recruit GLOWING?" he snarled with a frown.

GySgt Ellison really hated dealing with M.P's, especially Recruit Depot M.P's as they seemed to think that just because they were stationed on the Depot, they had the same authority and privileges as the actual Drill Instructors. Oh how wrong they were.

"Gunnery Sergeant." Ellison corrected flatly.

"What?"

"Gunnery Sergeant." he repeated.

LCpl Harkin stared at the Senior Drill Instructor. _This is why I'm glade I'm almost out, _"What happened here Gunnery Sergeant?"

"Well...it seems that there was a batch of bad chicken and everyone got food poisoning." Ellison replied, trying very hard to keep a straight face which was more then he could say for the others.

"You can't expect me to believe that. Food Poisoning...Really? Come on, there was was a riot. Anyone can see that. Gentlemen please...Can one of you tell me what happened? At least file a report." LCpl. Harkin directed, saying the last part of the sentence more so to the remaining Staff NCO's, hoping for something, anything to explain what had happened.

"It happened the way the Gunnery Sergeant said. Food Poisoning. We should have the food prep stations looked at and maybe even the food suppliers." Sgt. Johnson replied.

LCpl. Harkin just stared at the group of DI's, "All right...it was 'Food Poisoning.' I'll get some Corpsmen over here to deal with the 'Food Poisoning.' I'll need to contact maintenance to fix this place up so it can be up and running for the next chow call."

"I don't think that will be necessary. We have all the man power needed to fix this place up. We'll have it spic and span by dinner. PLATOONS FALL IN!" Ellison bellowed.

As the Platoons fell in, the Corpsmen arrived and started collecting the five unresponsive recruits that were laying on the floor. When they attempted to recover Shepard, they found themselves pushed back. Confused, the Corpsmen tried again, but were meet with the same result.

"Gunnery Sergeant...a little help over here would be appreciated." one called over his shoulder.

Gunny Ellison looked over and saw that the Corpsmen were attempting to recover Recruit Shepard with little success. With mild amusement, he watched as the Corpsmen were gently 'pushed' away over and over again.

"Stand fast Doc...I'll handle those two myself."

The Corpsmen nodded and moved on to the other less injured recruits. As Ellison moved to help Recruits Shepard and Wolff, he found himself being 'pushed' back as well.

"Recruit Wolff...calm down. It's Gunny Ellison. I wont hurt you."

* * *

><p>Kitrina was lost in her own little world. It was as if the rest was all black, didn't exist. All she could see was Hew in her arms and little else. She focused on the wound on his arm, staring at the smoothly sliced flesh. It was deep but she got the blood to stop and was accelerating his bodies own ability to heal. The fact she was doing this both surprised and frightened her. She had never done this before or heard of it being done but here she was, using her Biotics to heal the man cradled in her arms. <em>Why do my Biotics react to him like this? First they don't affect him, then they heal him? Why is he so special? Why do they accept him? <em>

"...I won't hurt you"

Kitrina's head snapped up to the was obvious not her's or Hew's. The blackness seemed to melt away to reveal the rest of the true world, one of destruction and chaos that she didn't remember seeing.

"Recruit Wolff...Can you hear me?" the voice repeated.

Kitrina's eyes shifted to the familiar face of her Senior Drill Instructor, "What...What's going on? What happened?"

"Every thing is going to be ok. Can you release Recruit Shepard for me?"

"Recruit Shepard?" she whispered.

At first, Kitrina was confused. _Who is Recruit Shepard? I wonder if Hew knows who he...OH NO! HEW! _ Kitrina panicked with the sudden realization of who the Senior was talking about.

"Oh God! Is he going to be alright? There is so much blood!" she called out, looking back down to the unconscious man in her arms.

Ellison saw the panic cross Wolff's face, "Calm down Recruit Wolff. He'll be fine. We need to get him to the infirmary so they can check him out. Come on...let him go so I can lift him."

Kitrina was still a bit out of it but she did hear the word 'Lift'. At that thought, Shepard's unconscious body was engulfed in a misty, blue aura and rose slowly into the air.

_Well that's one way to do it. _Ellison thought as he watched a seventeenyear old girl, lift a 92 kilo, 19 year old with no strain, "Do you think you can get him onto the stretcher?"

"Yes." was all Kitrina said as all her focus was on maintaining the field that held Hew aloft. _This has to be a new best. _she thought to herself. _No time for that...Hew needs to get to the Infirmary. _Shepard drooped a little at the slip of concentration, but was easily corrected. _How can I be doing this? I've never had this kind of control before._ Kitrina was so lost in thought that she didn't notice she arrived at the stretcher.

She slowly lowered his unconscious form onto the mobile bed, "What happens now Sir?" she asked quietly, letting the field drop and letting the stretcher take Hew's full weight.

Ellison watched with amazement as Recruit Wolff showed a fine control that human combat Biotics lack, "We get him to medical and go from there."

"Understood Sir, " Kitrina responded with a short nod, "Can this recruit go with him Sir? To make sure he's ok?"

Ellison thought for a moment, seeing the pleading look in her eyes, "We'll see what the doctor has to say. Understood?"

"Yes Sir."

Kitrina fell into step behind the Senior as they headed towards the infirmary with all the other injured. When the group arrived, there was already rooms ready for everyone. The two set the stretcher down and lifted Shepard onto the bed, taking care not to jostle his injured arm. They waited quietly for several minutes for the Doctor to arrive, not speaking or even daring to look at each other. Upon the doctor's arrival, he triggered the table scanners and while waiting, read the datapad in his hands.

"The report says this recruit had a 30.48 cm cut on his right forearm and my scans are showing nothing. Is this the right recruit?" the doctor asked in puzzlement as the scans were contradicting what the reports stated.

"The report is accurate and this is the same recruit. Are there any abnormalities involving his right arm doc?" Ellison asked.

"Um...let me check," the doctor went to Hew's bedside and checked, "Huh...nothing out of the ordinary that I can tell. Hold on...Has he been exposed to Eezo in the last forty eight to ninety six hours?" the doctor's brows pulled together.

"Why do you ask doctor? Is there something wrong? Is there something I should know about?" Ellison asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No no...Recruit Shepard seems to have high levels of Eezo in his system, centralized around his right arm. His medical record says nothing about Eezo exposure or Biotic potential." he was more curious then anything else.

"Is it affecting him adversely?" Ellison asked, a bit worried at the find.

"There should not be any issues with it. Surprisingly his body seems to be benefiting from the dark energy. It is actually promoting cellular regrowth from what I can tell. I wouldn't have seen it if not for the deep tissue scan. This is amazing...I've never seen anything like this before. Can I ask how he was exposed?" the doctor asked, rapping a finger against the datapad.

"I have no idea...Maybe the transport we were on had a core leak." Ellison offered, not wanting to divulge the real reason..

"Huh...I don't think this level can be explained away with a core leak. No...It's too clean. No variances in the energy signature. If I didn't know any better, I'd say a Biotic did this...Now how could that have happened I wonder." the doctor mused as he filled out paper work.

_How can he not know a Biotic is standing less then two meters from me? I thought the fact that __Wolff had her flare would be common knowledge by now, _"Just out of curiosity but, how long have you been stationed here doctor?"

"About four weeks. The previous doctor had to leave for some reason or another. The upsetting thing is she took all her notes and files with her so I have to start from scratch. Most unprofessional in my opinion." the doctor shook his head.

_The other doctor is gone with all her files? that's odd. I wonder why? _Before Ellison could ask another question, a moan was heard from the bed.

* * *

><p>There was darkness and pain, then there was a soft glow of warmth. Hew had no idea what was going on but it felt familiar some how. For the life of him he couldn't place it though. The next thing he knew, his back was cold and he was hungry like he hadn't eaten in months. The soft glow gave way to the harsh lighting that medical facilities seem to prefer. As he slowly opened his eyes, he couldn't help but moan as the aches and hunger made themselves known. The surprising thing, was his arm didn't feel like it had been slashed. It felt more like a bat or a chair had hit it.<p>

"I'm not dead am I? Because if this is Hell...it's too cold." Hew groaned, refusing to open his eyes.

"Not dead yet Recruit Shepard but banged up a bit. What do you remember?" Ellison's voice drifted in from the left.

Hew sat up to better address the Senior Drill Instructor, his eyes stinging from the harsh light, "Not much Sir...Uh...I think the First and Second Squad leaders were giving Recruit Wolff some trouble. There is a blur, then a knife I think but not much else Sir."

Ellison thought over Recruit Shepard's response for a time and kept an eye on both him and Wolff, "Does that happen often?"

"Does what happen often Sir?" Hew asked, confused.

The confusion in Shepard's voice, or was it fear, caught Ellison off guard. "The blackout."

"Um...Not that often Sir," he cringed, "Not that I can remember Sir." he corrected.

Ellison mused over the response for a bit, "Doctor...Is there any neurological damage found in Recruit Shepard?"

The doctor, whom was listening intently to the conversation slowly shook his head, "None that I can see but I would recommend that Recruit Shepard get some food as soon as possible as his electrolytes are extremely low."

"That can be arranged doctor...Thank you for your time. Recruits Shepard,Wolff...head back to the Squad Bay and grab a couple MRE's to hold you over." Ellison ordered the recruits after finishing with the doctor.

"MRE's Sir? Isn't chow coming up? Last thing I remember was filing into the Chow Hall Sir." Hew asked, slightly confused.

"The Chow Hall experienced a little problem after we got there so get an MRE, and be happy about it. Dismissed!" Ellison barked.

As Ellison watched Shepard and Wolff leave, he couldn't help but notice Recruit Wolff pass Shepard a protein bar as they rounded the corner. The smile left his face as he turned back to the doctor, who seemed to be having trouble with his terminal.

"Something wrong Doctor?"

"It's the damnedest thing. Not only am I unable to bring up Recruit Shepard's last medical exam report, but I can't seem to save this one. Every time I try it deletes it. Goddamned computers will be the death of me. Why couldn't they keep paper copies like they used to?" The doctor replied more to himself then the Senior DI.

Ellison took that as his queue to leave. As he walked back to the Squad Bay, he couldn't help but wonder what fun and exciting things those two will get into next. Hell, the Knowledge Exams were in a couple of days. _Wonder what will happen then...This is way better then my soaps._


	4. Chapter 4:Knowledge is Power

Chapter 4: Knowledge is Power

(Boiler Plate Disclaimer: _Not all gene mods will take, due to each strand of DNA being different. Oh shit, wrong disclaimer. *Clears throat* So, here I go giving you the whole shpeel: I do not own Mass Effect, the characters, or anything from the Mass Effect universe but any OC's they're mine, Oh and Kitrina is still my co-Authors but Hew popped from my head fully formed...And they all said it was a stress headache. Shows what they know.)_

_ (Author's Note: Yeah I know my updates are a bit random. All the other authors make this look easy. Hell, my co-author can put out 2-3 chapters in the time it takes me to do one, so I can tell you if you don't prep right it's really hard. Mad props to everyone who can post regularly. Believe me, I try.)_

* * *

><p>Hew was worried. It was the night before the knowledge test and he was only reading at a 6th grade level. Problem was, he needed to read, at least, at a 11th-12th grade level to understand the test...let alone pass it. The weird thing was, he was more worried about how it all was affecting Wolff. The test, the fight in the chow hall, which after some time he was able to get the whole story from her. For two days after the fight, she wouldn't talk to him, let alone look at him as they went about their business studying, going through the physical training and all the other bullshit they had to endure. He finally had to ask her flat out what was wrong and that's what caused her to finally tell him about the riot. Hew shook himself from his musings and refocused his attention on the datapad in front of him, looking at the words that were slowly beginning to make sense to him. Wolff had weaned him off of the child's helper and switched him to reading the actual Recruit Knowledge...as best as he could anyways.<p>

"A un..units str..eng..th streng...th strength is de...cide decided by it's Es..pri..t Espr..it E...sprit?" _Ah fuck it...I'll ask Wolff._ He cringed.

"Hey Wolff, what's this mean...here?" he asked, pointing at the word he couldn't put together.

Kitrina looked up from what she was doing and looked at Hew's datapad, "Um...'Esprit De Corps'? Let me see f I can explain it...Oh! How about this. Group spirit. Sense of pride, honor, etc. Shared by those in the same group or undertaking...Basically it means Morale...You get it?" she tried to explain as best she could.

"Well why didn't they just say that? It's simpler." Hew muttered with a grumbled, looking back at his datapad to find where he left off.

"Well...The Military loves to use Latin and Greek and not to mention it's own unique language when ever it can. It adds character I guess." Kitrina replied with a small smirk and a shrug.

Hew's brows furrowed, "Wait...I have to learn Greek and Latin now?" he asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

"No no no. You don't need to learn those. All I'm saying is that the Military likes to incorporate aspects of it to add to itself. Like the old Military branches from Earth had Latin Mottos unique to themselves. It gave the members something to believe in and aspire to. Make sense?" Kitrina tried to explain.

"Oh...That makes a little sense...I guess. Thanks." Hew went back to his reading, even though it was slow, he was actually starting to understand. _I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. _A quick glance towards Wolff was the only hint to the thoughts that were running through his head.

After several hours of studying the DI came out and announced lights out with that same, stern tone that every DI had. As Hew was climbing into his rack, he heard Kitrina's soft whisper flutter up to him from her rack below his.

"Hew...You'll do fine. You can read well enough to pass the exam. So don't worry...Ok?" she reassured, tugging the thin blanket up to her shoulders as she got comfortable.

"Thanks Wolff. I appreciate the help. If I fail...you can punch me." he grinned as he rolled over to his side with his arm hanging over the side.

"It's a deal." Kitrina didn't have to worry about hiding her smile as she buried her face into her pillow, ready for some long awaited rest.

* * *

><p>"Do you think he stands a chance Gunny?" Sgt Johnson asked as he stared out into the Squad Bay.<p>

"To be honest Johnson...I really have no idea. I know Recruit Wolff has been helping him with his reading problem, but under stress, I really just don't know. Come tomorrow I guess we'll find out wont we," Gunny Ellison sighed, "You and Cpl. Fredricks can head on home. I'll hold the fort down tonight."

"Aye aye Gunny," Johnson nodded before looking over his shoulder, "Fredricks grab your trash and meet me out by my truck. I'm taking you home."

"Thanks Sergeant. I could use a good night sleep on a real mattress tonight. Gunny got the good rack." Cpl Fredricks respond in good humor and with a small laugh.

"Privilege of rank there Corporal. I also get the good chair." Ellison replied with a smile, "Now you two get out of here before I change my mind."

"Aye aye Gunny." they both replied in unison before heading out of the Squad Bay.

* * *

><p><span>Day of the Exam<span>

As the squad woke up and formed up outside, Hew was going over all the 'pictures' of the Recruit Knowledge to make sure he had the whole thing in his head. Satisfied that he had everything and was as prepared as he was gonna get, he led his squad into the assembly hall where the knowledge exams were to be administered. As he stood by the door, Wolff slide up beside him and squeezed his hand which caught him off guard. _She actually squeezed my hand? She's really hoping I pass this damn thing isn't she._ Hew glanced over at her kind gesture and gave her a smallsmile to reassure her that he was ready. There was no turning back now. The two temporary Squad Leaders gave the pair a wide birth as they passed by and headed into the hall with their squads.

"Your ready Hew. I for one know you got this. You know the information. All you have to do is apply it." she whispered, still with a soft smile across her lips.

_She really does care...Why the hell does she care?_ "I know Wolff. Thanks for everything you've done," he whispered back, drawing in a long breath to help steady his nerves, "We're up. Good luck Wolff."

"You to Hew." Kitrina watched as Hew walked towards his seat and she found her's not to far away where she settled in for the exam.

"GOOD MORNING RECRUITS!" a DI bellowed.

"Oorha!" they all replied.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME! I'LL TRY THIS AGAIN! GOOD MORNING RECRUITS!" the DI bellowed again.

"OORHA!" the assembly erupted into noise as every recruit yelled the war cry at the top of their lungs.

"THAT'S FUCKING BETTER! GLADE TO SEE YOU'RE ALL AWAKE. MY NAME IS MASTER SERGEANT FULLER! I'LL BE ADMINISTERING THE TEST! SQUAD LEADERS...STAND UP!" his booming voice echoed through the whole hall.

Somewhat confused, Hew, along with Wolff and the other squad leaders...stood up and stood at attention.

"ALRIGHT SQUAD LEADERS! FILE OFF TO THE FRONT AND COLLECT THE DATAPADS! YOU WILL THEN PASS THEM OUT TO YOUR SQUADS! ANY QUESTIONS...NO...GOOD."

Hew and the others went up to the front as instructed and collected the datapads to pass them out to their squads, walking down the aisles and placing one on each desk. _Huh...If the test is given on this, it should be easy._ Hew mused, as he thought the test was going to be verbal. If it was written, which it was becoming apparent that it was, then his 'pictures' would help him greatly.

"EVERYONE HAVE THEIR PADS? GOOD! LOG IN AND START TESTING!" the DI bellowed before he nearly marched off and sat in a singular chair at the head of the hall.

Hew took a moment to log in, flicking his hand over the interface to enter his log in information without a problem. _Thank you for Bio-Metrics. _Hew thought to himself as the datapad quickly processed his data and opened the test. Once the first page of the test appeared, Hew couldn't believe his luck. _I can't believe it...It's taken straight from the knowledge but it's just got some words missing! It's fill in the blank and multiple choice...All I have to do is match it to what's in my head. This will be simple but time consuming. Well...Let's get this going._ He thought with a subtly growing smirk.

Across the assembly hall, Kitrina saw how the test was set up and she too...grinned. O_h thank God...It's a simple fill in the blank. Hew should have no problems. _She thought, breathing a sigh of relief as she started her exam.

* * *

><p>Gunny Ellison was chosen to be a Procter for the exams, as he had nothing else to do he simply watched as after several minuets a handful of his recruits finished up and reported to him.<p>

"Go form up outside and wait for the rest of the squad." he blandly ordered the recruits.

"Aye aye Sir." each one replied.

After the recruits left, Gunny Ellison settled in for the long hall. After three hours of testing, very few recruits were left...unsurprisingly Recruit Shepard was one of them but what surprised him, is so was Recruit Wolff. _I wonder what is taking her so long. I figured she would be one of the first ones out_. He thought, his attention being drawn as both Recruit's Shepard and Wolff stood and turned in their datapads into the administrator.

"Took you two long enough. Get your asses out and form up your squads. It's time for chow." the administrator snarled as he grabbed the tests from the recruits.

"Aye aye Sir" both replied at the same time.

_Hope nothing fun happens at the chow hall this time. _Ellison mused to himself as he wet to march everyone to the chow hall.

* * *

><p>After chow, which had nothing interesting happen, the platoon went to the drill field which of course, led to time in the pit where the recruits had the tar beaten out of them for awhile, so by the time the platoon got back to the Squad Bay...they were tired and dirty.<p>

"ALL RIGHT SHIT STICKS, HIT THE SHOWERS AND GET CLEANED UP! YOU ALL SMELL LIKE SWEAT AND SHIT! FIX THAT!" The DI ordered as he walked into the Duty Hut.

The recruits quickly stripped and headed for the head, all except Kitrina and the other female recruits for obvious reasons. As soon as all the male recruits finished, Hew placed himself at the entrance to stand guard, as was usual, as the few female recruits entered the head so they could get cleaned up as well. After everyone was washed and dressed, the DI's came out and did the customary hygiene check before he released the recruits to their coveted free time.

"How do you think you did Hew?" Kitrina asked now that they could talk in relative privacy.

Hew looked up from his foot locker and thought for a moment, "Pretty good I think. It was all multiple choice and fill in the blanks. My mental pictures were very helpful and I was actually able to read some of the simpler parts." Hew replied with a slightly growing smile.

"That's good to hear," she smiled herself, "Um...did you want me to keep helping you with your reading? That is...if you want." Kitrina asked, almost in a whisper.

_Why would she still want to help me? The knowledge tests are over? _Hew wondered, "Uh...Sure, if you want to. I mean, I could use the help but do you really wanna waste your time with me?" Hew asked in good humor however, her reaction was not expected.

"What! It's not a waste of my time! Reading is very important and a required skill in the real word. Time with you is not a waste Hew...Never think that!" Kitrina responded a lot loader then she meant to as she realized what she said. _I hope he didn't catch that...Oh God I hope he didn't! _She inwardly cringed at herself whilst trying to hide her face.

_ I did not expect that reaction...Wait a second...What did she just say? Time with me isn't a waste? I couldn't have heard that right. _He thought as his brows began to slightly furrow.

Before Hew could ask her, a bellow from the Duty Hut broke his train of thought.

* * *

><p>Ellison was sitting in the duty hut unwinding after a long day when his terminal beeped. Glancing at the screen, Ellison saw it was the results of the exams. <em>That was quick. Usually it takes a day or more to get the results. Wonder why it went so fast. <em>Ellison opened the files and started scrolling through the list of scores. _Two perfect scores...That's impressive...let see who they are...Wolff is one... that's expected and the second one is... _

"You have got to fucking kidding me! There is no way that can be right." Ellison yelped out loud once he read the name of the second recruit whom had gotten a perfect score.

Sgt. Johnson snapped his head around at the Gunny's outburst, "Whats up? You usually don't raise your voice this late. Is something wrong?" he asked simply.

Ellison looked towards Johnson, than the screen, than back to Johnson, "Is something wrong? You bet your ass there is! get Recruit Shepard and Wolff in here right the fuck now!" he harshly ordered.

"Right a way Gunny," taking a deep breath, he bellowed, " RECRUIT SHEPARD! RECRUIT WOLFF! REPORT TO THE DUTY HUT!"

Ellisonwas reading the results list when the two recruits entered.

"Recruits Shepard and Wolff reporting as ordered Sir!" Wolff hollered, standing at attention.

Ellison let them stew for a while as he read the results report one last time before he finally looked up and regarded the two recruits, "Do either of you have anything you want to tell me before we start?"

Shepard and Wolff glanced at each other in complete confusion before Wolff responded, " I'm sorry Sir but Recruit Shepard and this recruit have no idea what the Senior Drill Instructor is talking about Sir."

Ellison regarded the recruits for a moment longer, "Do you really expect me to believe that Recruit Wolff? Give me a little credit. I got the results from the Knowledge exams. One result was expected, the other...not so much. Now...this is your last chance to come clean." he angrily glared, watching as both recruits seemed to start shaking.

Again, the two recruits just stood with confused looks, but this time, it was Recruit Shepard that spoke up, "With all do respect Sir...could you just explain what it is that seems to have you so upset? As you can see, both Recruit Wolff and this recruit are completely lost and in the dark."

_Ballsy little fucker, _"If you really want to play this game, then lets get this ball rolling. I have the results from the exams. This Platoon received two perfect scores. One, was Recruit Wolff and the second, was you Recruit Shepard." Ellison paused to let it all sink in.

"This Recruit doesn't understand...Isn't that a good thing Sir? Does that not raise the platoons standing?" Recruit Shepard asked, his confusion plain in his voice.

"That's correct...but only if the prestige was not gained by falsehood."

"Falsehood Sir? This recruit doesn't understand."

Ellison pinched the bridge of his nose, "You want me to spell it out for you Recruit Shepard? Oh that's right, you wouldn't be able to read it anyway isn't that right?" he watched as he struck a nerve with the young man. _Maybe I went a little far. _

The Gunny watched as anger rose into Shepard's eyes but that's when the damnedest thing happened, Recruit Wolff reached out and gently touched Shepard's hand which caused the anger to fade almost instantly. _Did I just see what I think I saw? That can't be right. She calmed him with a touch?_

After taking a calming breath Shepard responded, "I don't see what my reading ability has to do with anything. Recruit Wolff has been helping this recruit with that." he flatly answered.

"I know, Recruit Shepard, and though I applaud her initiative, I really doubt she got you to a high school reading level in three months. If you couldn't read the question on the exam, there is no way you could have gotten the right answer. Hell, even if you guessed there is no way you could score a perfect. So that means, you have to have cheated and Recruit Wolff helped you some how. You two took the longest out of everyone in the Platoon and both ended at the same time. What else am I supposed to think huh? Tell me...Give me one good reason that explains how you could score a perfect while not being able to understand a damn thing you read." Ellison explained, folding his arms across his chest as he continued to stare angrily at the two recruits.

Recruit Shepard and Wolff just stood there, Shepard most likely due to Ellison revealing his deficiency, and Wolff, due to the accusation of cheating.

"Well I'm waiting." Ellison snarled.

"Give me the test again and I'll show you I didn't cheat." Shepard glared, staring Ellison straight in the eyes.

Ellison thought about that. _Hell, it's no skin off my back and if he fails then it would prove he cheated, _"Ok...I'm game, but if you fail this test, then not only you get dropped, but Recruit Wolff as well. Remember what I said? 'If one Fails, then both fail." _Let's see if he is willing to drag her down __with him._

After a look to Recruit Wolff and a subtle nod, Shepard looked back to the Senior DI, "Accepted Sir."

_Well either he's arrogant, or infinitely confident, _"All right...I just happen to have a copy of the exam right here. You have one and a half hours to finish it_. _Will that be enough time Recruit Shepard?"

"Yes Sir."

After handing the datapad to Recruit Shepard, Ellison leaned back to wait, "Recruit Wolff, stand in the corner and look away. Recruit Shepard Ready...Begin."

As Recruit Wolff stood in the corner, the three Drill Instructors watched as Recruit Shepard began taking the test. At first, he was going slow but as time wore on, he started to move faster. At some points, it looked as if he didn't even read the question and just knew what the answer was. What Recruit Shepard didn't know, was that Ellison was grading the exam in real time and more to the Gunny's surprise, he hadn't missed a single question yet. _How the hell is he doing this? _Was all the Gunny could think.

After forty five minutes, Recruit Shepard finished the test. Gunny Ellison was surprised, to say the least as according to his real time grading, Shepard not only finished faster, but still achieved a perfect score.

"How the hell did you do that?" Ellison asked with furrowed brows.

"Do what, Sir?"

"How the hell do you keep passing the exams?"

"I make the pictures match Sir" Shepard answered, looking Ellison straight in the eyes once more.

"Oh, you make the pictures match...YOU WHAT!"

"I make the pictures match. The ones on the paper to the ones in my head Sir."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ellison was confused.

"If this recruit can explain Sir." Wolff stated from the corner.

"Well I would really like an explanation Recruit Wolff and if you can enlighten me, then I'm all for it." the Gunny crossed his arms tightly.

"Well Sir, Recruit Shepard has a..." _How can I put this? _"I guess the best term is a photographic memory, Sir." she simply explained.

"He has a what? A photographic memory? With no mental or physical issues, That's a load of bull. That's an urban legend." Sgt. Johnson stated from the back of the duty hut.

"It's the truth Sir. Recruit Shepard can remember everything he sees and hears. This recruit didn't believe it at first until she watched him rewrite the Recruit Knowledge's first chapter verbatim. Sir." she, herself, couldn't look the DI's in the face.

"Are you telling me the truth Recruit Wolff? If this is just a way to cover his ass and by association yours, you will not like the consequences." Gunny Ellison replied to Recruit Wolff's defensive statement. _Why does she care so much about Recruit Shepard? _

"Why don't you test him Sir? Show him something and see if he remembers it. It can be as simple or complex as you want it to be Sir."

_That's one way, _"I have just the thing...It's a relic from the old land nav courses. Recruit Shepard, how long do you need to see something before you memorize it?"

"Depends on how complex the item is Sir. A string of numbers is easier then a map, a map is easier then complex computer code, so on and so forth Sir." Shepard responded with a light shrug.

"I'm gonna give you thirty seconds to look at an old map, then you will redraw it from memory on this data pad. Understood?"

"Yes Sir. I understand Sir" Shepard nodded.

"Well here you go...Time starts now."

At that, Ellison tossed an old topographical map before Recruit Shepard so he could look at it. Ellison noticed Shepard's eyes were scanning the map in the same fashion a computer would...quickly. After the allotted time was up, Ellison reached forward to retrieve the map and handed Shepard the datapad.

"Ok...Here's the datapad. Dazzle me Recruit Shepard." Ellison couldn't hide the challenge in his voice.

Shepard reached for the pad and started drawing the map without a moments hesitation. The strange thing was, he started in one corner and only moved once the detail was completed.

Ellison couldn't believe it, he was drawing the map, not coping it, but actually reproducing it. He was even adding the crease marks and the old coffee cup stains. _This can't be real._

When Recruit Shepard finished the map, he handed it back to the Senior Drill Instructor.

Ellison compared the drawing with the original. There were few discrepancies, but most were due to condition of the original map as it wasn't a great copy to began with.

"I have to admit, this is impressive Recruit Shepard. In all my years in the service, I have never seen this." Ellison looking over his shoulder, "Have either of you seen anything like this?" the question directed to the other two DIs.

"I've never seen someone able to do it with that level of detail Sir and especially not in someone so young." Cpl Fredricks responded.

"Myself included Sir." Sgt. Johnson added.

"Well I'm convinced, but you have to tell me something Recruit Shepard. Do you have the entire R.K in your head?" Ellison leaned forward as he asked the question.

"Yes Sir" was the simple reply Recruit Shepard gave.

"That's fucking outstanding...You have all the creeds, oaths and such. Now here's the big question can you actually recite them or do you have to write them down?" Ellison inquired.

Shepard nodded, "Yes, I believe I can. That's what Recruit Wolff was teaching me with Sir"

"How long will it take for me to get you spooled up to be my Guide Recruit Shepard?"

"What do I need to know Sir?"

"Mostly the Guide-on movements and commands." Ellison replied.

"Is that the stuff you showed the current guide about two months ago Sir?"

"Yes," that caught his attention, "Wait...are you telling me you know every command just by watching the other Drill Instructors teach him?"

"I know the basics but catching up on the finer points shouldn't be an issue Sir."

"Sergeant Johnson get the guide in here." Ellison commanded.

"With all due respect Sir, are you sure now is the time for this?" Sgt Johnson asked.

"Oh please...The current Guide can't keep the platoon in line and has no respect from the squad leaders. So yes I do think it's time Sergeant."

"Understood Sir," Johnson went to the door, "Guide...Report!"

Several seconds later, the Guide was standing front and center of Gunnery Sergeant Ellison, "Do you know why you're here Guide?" Ellison asked.

"The Guide was told to report Sir." the Guide responded.

"Not even close Recruit Kahoku, you are being replaced by someone who can control the platoon, Your lack of control was proven by the riot in the chow hall and poor leadership and decision making skills was evident by your choice in Squad Leaders. All that leads me to believe that you are not the right choice for the position. You are to hand over the Guide-on and all other taperings of the post at once. If you wish to challenge my decision, you can take it to the mats."

Recruit Kahoku just swallowed. Being the Guide came with tremendous perks but spending time in the infirmary was beyond what he was willing to do to keep them. Seeing as he really had no choice in the matter, he handed over the Guide-on and the armband to the Senior Drill Instructor.

"I was hoping you would at least attempt to prove me wrong but I guess sometimes the apple does fall far from the tree. Dismissed."

As the former Guide left, GySgt Ellison turned to Recruit Shepard and held out the Guide-on. At first Shepard didn't know what to do, then it hit him that the Senior Drill Instructor just said what he wanted. Shepard reached out and grasped the Guide-on in a firm grip.

"This is mine. If any so chose to dispute my claim then let them dispute it by force. For the only way this shall leave my possession is by command of my Superior whether that be by rank or strength so let it be known. This I swear" Shepard recited, still staring the Senior drill instructor straight in the eyes.

Ellison was a little taken back by the proclamation. _That sounds like something a warrior would swear...or a man who has proven himself in violence. I wonder which Shepard is. _He thought briefly as he relinquished his grasp on the Guide-on.

"That's what I wanted to hear. You can pick your new Squad Leaders tomorrow. For now, get you gear and the rest of the Platoon packed. We're headed to Titan tomorrow."

Recruit...No...Guide Shepard griped the Guide-on and simply nodded in agreement. The last thing Ellison heard was his new Guide's bellow for the Platoon to pack their gear and much to his surprise, the Platoon started right away with absolutely no hesitation.

_I made the right choice in him._ Ellison thought, looking towards the corner as he noticed that Recruit Wolff had already joined Shepard at his left hand side. A small smile turned the corner of Ellison's lips. _Those two are going to do great things, If she can keep him reigned in and he protect her_ _there's nothing they can't do. _

"Gunny...you have a strange sense of humor. I think you either did something great or very foolish." Sgt. Johnson stated as he went to supervise the pack up.

_You and me both Sergeant...You and me both. _Ellison mused as he went to sit at his desk again, _These next two months will be quiet interesting. _

* * *

><p>After everything was packed for the trip, to the Drill Instructors satisfaction mind you, the Platoon was settling in for the night. Kitrina was still excited that they passed the exams and were going to Titan. She couldn't believe it.<p>

"Aren't you excited Hew? We passed and we get to go to Titan." she asked, sitting on her rack.

Hew regarded Wolff for a moment, "Didn't you grow up in space? Why are you so excited about Titan? It's a moon right? What's the big deal?" he grinned as he plopped down on the floor.

Kitrina just looked at him, "It's...it's Titan. We're past the halfway point. All the real training takes place there. Don't you realize that?" she watched as he leaned his head back to rest it against her rack.

"What? You mean all this marching and book stuff isn't real training. And here I thought I would intimidate my enemies with my vast knowledge of military history and my ability to right face. You mean we get to learn more? Well...why didn't you say so. Hurry up and get ready so we can learn all that new stuff on Titan." Hew replied, barley able to keep a straight face as he teased her.

At first, Kitrina lit up then her face fell, "Your making fun of me aren't you?" before Hew could respond, she hit him in the arm, "You know, it's not smart to pick on your reading teacher."

"I think we've established I'm not the brightest bulb but the strongest quite some time ago." He joked.

"You're not stupid Hew...How many times do I have to say this?" she groaned with a light eye roll as she slipped off her rack to sit on the floor next to him.

Hew looked at Wolff for a bit, "We should get some sleep...After all...we're going to Titan tomorrow and we need our rest."

Kitrina punched Hew in the arm again, "Stop picking on me. It's a big deal to me ok."

"Ok I give. I'll save judgment till I get there but until then I'll keep an open mind."

Before Kitrina could respond the bellow from the Duty Hut cut her off.

"LIGHTS OUT!"

As they crawled in to their racks Kitrina whispered, "Good Night Hew...Sweet dreams."

"You as well Kitrina...You as well." was all she heard in response before the steady breath set in from Hew. _Wait...did Hew just use my name? _But before she could ask all she heard was the light snore that indicated that he was asleep.


	5. HellIt's about Time

Chapter 5: Hell...It's About Time

_(Disclaimer: Bio Ware owns the rights to Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3, Mass Effect World: The Online game, and the deed to the Moon. (Though I'm not to sure about thous last two, got it off of a wiki so you never know.) But I own a 2001 Toyota Tacoma so I get to use the characters how I see fit. Plus I really like pulling the strings. So there you have it, I don't own ME, or the universe in any way shape or form. My Kingdom for a time machine. )_

_(A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, I seemed at the time I had written my self into a corner as it were. I really had no idea where I was going next. After several hours playing ME and ME 2 (It's how I think) this just me as I was dealing with some Thorian Creepers. Also because it took me so long to get it out I decided to give you readers a nice long chapter. Hope you all enjoy this as much as I did typing it.)_

* * *

><p>"Field Training…What can someone say about Field Training, other then it was….well…..like a boot in the ass. This was exactly what Hew Shepard and Kitrina Wolff had been thinking for the last two and half months.<p>

MCRD Titan

"THIS IS MY RIFLE!" the DI bellowed.

"This is my rifle!" repeated the recruits.

"THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT, BUT THIS ONE IS MINE!"

"There are many like it, but this one is mine!"

"MY RIFLE IS MY BEST FRIEND! IT IS MY LIFE! I MUST MASTER IT AS I MASTER MY LIFE!"

"My rifle is my best friend! It is my life! I will master it as I have mastered my life!"

"MY RIFLE, WITHOUT ME IS USELESS! WITH OUT MT RIFLE, I AM USELESS!"

"My rifle with out me is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless!"

"I MUST FIRE MY RIFLE TRUE!"

"I must fire my rifle true!"

"I MUST SHOOT STRAIGHTER THEN MY ENEMY WHO IS TRYING TO KILL ME!"

"I must shoot straighter then my enemy who is trying to kill me!"

"I MUST SHOOT HIM BEFORE HE SHOOTS ME! I WILL...!"

"I must shoot him before he shoots me! I will...!"

"MY RIFLE AND MYSELF KNOW, THAT WHAT COUNTS IN THIS WAR IS NOT THE ROUNDS WE FIRE, THE NOISE OF OUR BURST, NOR THE SMOKE WE MAKE!"

"My rifle and myself know, that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make!"

"WE KNOW THAT IT IS THE HITS THAT COUNT! WE WILL HIT...!"

"We know that it is the hits that count! We will hit...!"

"MY RIFLE IS HUMAN, EVEN AS I, BECAUSE IT IS MY LIFE!"

"My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my Life!"

"THUS, I WILL LEARN IT AS A BROTHER!"

"Thus, I will learn it as a Brother!"

"I WILL LEARN IT 'S WEAKNESSES, IT'S STRENGTHs, IT'S PARTS, IT'S ACCESSORIES, IT'S SIGHTS AND IT'S BARREL!"

"I will learn it's weaknesses, it's strengths, it's parts, it's accessories, it's sights and it's barrel!"

"I WILL GUARD IT AGAINST THE RAVAGES OF WEATHER AND DAMAGE AS I WILL EVER GUARD MY LEGS, MY ARMS, MY EYES AND MY HEART AGAINST DAMAGE!"

"I will guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and heart against damage!"

"I WILL KEEP MY RIFLE CLEAN AND READY! WE WILL BECOME PART OF EACH OTHER! WE WILL...!"

"I will keep my rifle clean and ready! We will become part of each other! We will...!"

"BEFORE GOD, I SWEAR THIS CREED!"

"Before God, I swear this creed!"

"MY RIFLE AND MYSELF ARE THE DEFENDERS OF MY COUNTRY!"

"My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country!"

"WE ARE THE MASTERS OF OUR ENEMY!"

"We are the masters of our enemy!"

"WE ARE THE SAVIORS OF MY LIFE! SO BE IT, UNTIL VICTORY IS THE ALLIANCE'S AND THERE IS NO ENEMY, BUT PEACE!"

"We are the saviors of my life! So be it, until victory is the Alliance's and there is no enemy, but peace!"

* * *

><p>Across the rifle range GySgt Ellison leaned against a support strut, listening to the recruits recite one of the oldest creeds in the Marine Corps...well, it was actually brought over from the old United States Marine Corps. Though written during WWII by a Major General William H. Rupertus, it still sent shivers down his spine. <em>Damn I love the Corps. All the tradition and heritage. Those Navy pukes don't have that. <em>Ellison over, he noticed his Guide and First Squad Leader were leading the rest of the platoon in the creed. _I guess pairing them together was a good idea. _

In the past three and a half months, GySgt Ellison watched as recruit's Shepard and Wolff had developed into more confident and effective leaders, as well as grown closer as friends. As evident in their ability to read each other. Most of the time, Shepard didn't even have to say anything and Wolff would already be carrying out his unspoken orders.

_Well time to get them to the range_, "Sergeant, get the platoon to the bleachers and get the classes started. I want to see how Shepard handles a rifle."

"You think he'll be any good?" the Sergeant asked, seeing Ellison nod his head, "What gives you that idea?...If I may ask?" Sgt. Johnson asked out of curiosity.

"I've read his file Sergeant. He was a leader in the Reds. They're a gang on Earth which is known for violence. I'm pretty confident that he knows how to handle a firearm. My money's on a pistol, but who knows...he may be gifted." Ellison replied.

Sgt. Johnson thought about it for a moment, "Huh...That makes sense. I'll take that bet, but I'm picking Assault Rifles. Anyone can use an Assault Rifle. Think he'll qualify on all four?"

"The Pistol is a gimi...The AR takes some skill...The Long Rifle is all about breathing and the scatter gun is simple. So yeah, I think he'll get all four, but I still say he'll score higher on the pistol." Ellison replied.

"I'll take that bet," Sgt. Johnson confirmed, "Well, I have to go play school marm now."

* * *

><p><em>It looks simple enough...Hell...it has an integrated scope. It does have some heft to it though, but it's meant for longer ranges and two hands. I wonder what kind of recoil it has? <em>Hew thought as he examining the Avenger Assault Rifle Mk1.

All these thoughts were running through Hew's head, but very different ones were going through Kitrina's. _This is heaver then I thought it would be. My parents taught me to use a pistol but never a rifle. I hope I don't fail in the live fire test. _Kitrina mused before a thought hit her. _It seems mine and Hew's positions have swapped...He seems confident with his rifle. Hopefully he can help me. _She thought as she periodically glanced over in Hew's direction.

Both of there thoughts were interrupted when the Drill Instructor yelled for them to get to the bleachers. _Guess the classes are about to start. _They both thought simultaneously.

_ "_All right everybody...You heard the Drill Instructor. Get your backsides in those bleachers and keep you mouths shut and eyes open!" Hew bellowed, the order being followed without hesitation.

Hew found the platoon followed his orders much faster then the previous Guide's. _Is it fear or respect that drives them I wonder. _He briefly thought, taking his seat asthe last of the platoon took theirs, with the Squad Leaders taking up positions along the side so they were accessible by the Primary Marksmanship Instructors...or the Drill Instructors for that matter.

The briefings and safety lectures went on for a while, the whole time Hew being more interested in the rifle and was taking a close look at it while the PMI rambled on. After several minutes, he had figured out how to break it down and reassemble it fairly easily, though that was probably due to the rifle being designed for just that purpose.

By the time the PMI finally got around to actually allowing the recruits to practice the firing positions, Hew was already testing the rifle's balance and how the weight was distributed. Though the rifle was old and well used he was a bit impressed with the balance. All he ever dealt with were cast offs that the Reds found and refurbished...thus...crappy balance. He was always more confident with pistols but could handle the shitty rifles the Reds' always seemed to use.

It wasn't lost on the PMI that Recruit Shepard seemed to be in his own world. Not only did he notice that the recruit was not paying any attention, but also noticed that the recruit seemed to understand the weapon in it's entirely.

"Recruit Shepard will demonstrate the four firing positions for us! Recruit Shepard! Front and center!" the PMI bellowed.

Hew looked up, a bit startled, but quickly complied, coming forward to the foot of the bleachers and right next to the PMI. After looking around for a moment, he looked to the PMI for any instruction, but after receiving none, he lightly shrugged. _Fuck it. _He thought as he started to demonstrate the positions.

"All right everyone...I'm going to show you the four basic firing positions! The first will be the Standing position, next the Kneeling, Sitting and then the Prone! The lower you are to the ground, the more stable and accurate your firing will be but you loose mobility!" Hew waited for questions...but seeing none, he continued, " Ok! Then the first is the standing!"

Being right handed, he stood with his left foot forward and his right back for support. His body was slightly turned to the right and he held his hands out as if supporting a weapon. Before he could continue however, the PMI interrupted his train of thought.

"Go ahead and hold the rifle. Best to teach them everything."

Hew acknowledged the man and held the rifle, being sure to aim away from the bleachers as that was one of the cardinal rules of handling a live weapon. Never point it at anyone you do not intend to shoot. After a few moments, he then shifted to the left hand dominate position, as the platoon had several lefties in it.

"Are there any questions on the Standing position?" he asked, again, hearing and seeing none.

He then shifted to the Kneeling position, dropping to his right knee and set his left elbow on his left knee, holding his right arm in tight to his body. After getting comfortable, he the sighted down the rifle as if sighting down on a target. A few moments passed before he switched to a left handed dominate version of the same position, again for the lefties. This went on for a while as he demonstrated the Sitting and Prone in both the Right and Left hand positions, but once done, he looked to the PMI whom then took control by having the platoon get down off the bleachers to get into the practice circles so they could practice the firing positions themselves.

Before Hew could join them the PMI called him over, "Recruit Shepard...A moment."

Hew jogged over to where the PMI was sitting and reported in, "Recruit Shepard reporting as ordered...Sir!"

"At ease...I need to ask you a question. Where did you learn the four basic shooting positions? Do you have any prior military training?" the PMI asked.

"No Sir...I don't." Hew simply answered.

"Care to elaborate on that Recruit Shepard?"

"This recruit's Drill Instructors have always said 'Elaboration Kills'...Sir."

The PMI pinched the bridge of his nose, "Gunnery Sergeant Ellison!...A word."

* * *

><p>Ellison had been watching the lessons being given by Recruit Shepard and couldn't help but smile with slight disbelief. The kid was full of surprises. <em>Wonder what else he'll pull out of his ass. <em>He thought until the PMI called him over. _Wonder what he wants._ Ellison groaned, as he really didn't like PMI's. They liked to pretend that they were the Drill Instructors' equals, which was way off the mark.

When he got over to the bleachers, he noticed that the PMI was sitting down and had Recruit Shepard standing at Parade Rest. _Where the fuck does that guy get off having MY_ _Guide report to him? _"What's going on here Corporal and why is he standing at Parade Rest? Recruit Shepard...Rest!" he ordered, pleased as Recruit Shepard immediately followed his order.

"Well...if you must know. I asked the recruit a question and he wont answer me. I called you over here to get a straight answer from him."

"Well what was the question Corporal?" Ellison asked.

"I wanted to know where he got his weapons training? He seems to know his way around a rifle and the basic firing positions. Do you know anything about this Gunnery Sergeant?"

Ellison felt a strong sneer tugging at his mouth from the PMI's tone, "Recruit Shepard...report to the practice rings and assist the other recruits with their firing positions...Understood?"

"Yes Sir!" Hew replied before running to join the rest of the platoon.

Ellison stood watching as Recruit Shepard interacted with the other recruits, impressed with how everyone responded to the young man and how Recruit Shepard guided the recruits with a gentle hand and encouraging word. _There are officers that don't have that ability and skill. He'll make a great Staff NCO or maybe even an officer in the future. _Ellison thought before turning to the PMI.

"It doesn't really matter to you, but he was exposed to a near military organization growing up and picked up a lot of skills."

The PMI sat in silence for a brief moment, "Well...I thank you for sharing that information with me. It's always nice to have someone in the platoon that can help out. Usually that comes with pickups or hold backs but it always benefits the platoon in the long run when the help and instruction comes from within and not for some unknown figure."

_That actually makes sense in a way. Maybe this guy isn't a complete idiot. _Ellison thought. After he finished up his discussion with the PMI, he watched as Shepard helped Wolff with her firing positions and was a bit surprised that he easily fell into the role of teacher. He couldn't help but smile.

* * *

><p>Hew was actually enjoying being back in a leadershipteaching role and the fact that he was now teaching Kitrina something she didn't know was just icing on the cake. He did think it a bit odd that a military kid didn't know this stuff, but what the Hell he thought.

"Ok...Now, you shift your right foot back to act as support for the recoil." he explained.

As Kitrina adjusted herself, Hew couldn't help but have her press against him as she shifted as he had instructed. _Was that on purpose? And why doesn't it bother me? _He thought as Katrina settled into the correct position.

"Ok...Now see how your body is acting as a shock absorber for the rifle? It'll help keep your rounds on target."

"Yeah...I can see that but standing doesn't fell that stable." Kitrina replied.

"That's because it isn't. The Standing position is more for mobility then stability. The lower you go, the more stable you get but you lose mobility. It's a trade off really. Let's try the Kneeling position."

Katrina moved to the Kneeling position that Hew had demonstrated while he explained the advantages.

"The Kneeling position provides you with better stability and still allows you to get up and moving quickly. You settled?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Good...Now move your left leg forward and rest your left elbow just behind the knee cap. See how that gives you stability? You can also pivot slightly to the left and right if you need to."

Katrina tried what Hew explained and she found herself getting more and more comfortable with the positions. This went on for several hours, practicing the other positions with Hew's gentle corrections to help her until the Drill Instructors called for the platoon to get into formation for chow.

"Thank you for the help Hew. It really means a lot to me." Kitrina said with a thankful smile.

"No problem...Hell...it's the least I could do. After all, you not only taught me to read, but are helping me get to higher levels. You spend nearly all your free time helping me out so yeah...it's the least I could do." Hew returned the soft smile.

"I know all that but I still wanted to say thank you." Katrina lightly shrugged as they made their way to form up.

Hew couldn't stop his lips from broadening their smile, "Your welcome, but you still need some work on the Prone and Sitting positions but your doing well."

"Well...you can always help me after lights out. You know...with the Prone position," Kitrina responded, "Oh and the Sitting as well." she was quick to add, realizing how it must have sounded. _Did I just say that? I can't believe I just said that. _She cringed.

"That sounds like a good idea. We'll see how much help you need after the afternoon practice. Sound good?" Hew said, completely oblivious to the color creeping up into Kitrina's cheeks.

As the days went by, the platoon was given classes on hand to hand combat, first aid, small unit tactics and a whole slew of other topics that served to thoroughly fill each recruit's brain. The week flew by and qualification week fell upon the recruits before they even knew it. The first day was a bit of a shock to the recruits as they were awoken at 0430 and at the firing range at 0500. Only a handful of the recruits seemed to be handling it well. those being Hew, Kitrina and the other Squad leaders.

After the platoon was in formation at the range, the Range Gunnery Sergeant stepped up on a raised platform and started the safety briefing. Hew wasn't really paying any attention as they have all heard the same briefing for the last week at the practice circles. He was busy making sure his platoon was awake and alert. When the briefing was finished, the platoon was broken in half, Squads 1 and 2 on the line with Squads 3 and 4 in the pits. Then the fun started.

Hew found the range fun to say the least. He got to shoot a new weapon without the fear that someone would be shooting back. After the first day of firing, the PMI's and the Drill Instructors as were impressed. Without any input for the Instructors, he had scored perfect with the Assault Rifle which was rare...especially with a new recruit. The range Staff NCO checked the computers three times and found no glitches.

"How the Hell did he do that? No one, and I mean no one has scored a perfect mark on the range in like...a hundred years! I can't believe it." the Range Gunnery Sergeant said in awe.

"Well, I think we should see how he does with a pistol and long rifle. Do you not agree Gunny?" Ellison asked.

"You think he's ready? I mean...we usually just get them qualified on the AR's and let their permanent commands get them schooled up on the other weapons."

"I think Recruit Shepard can handle it. Hell...he just qualified with the AR and it's only day one. Let him try and see what happens. What's the worse that can happen?" Ellison pushed.

The range SNCO pondered what Ellison had to say before finally agreeing, "We'll see how he does with a pistol and go from there. Alright?"

"Sounds good to me. Just a quick question thought...Who's gonna to train him?"

"Why not you Gunnery Sergeant? Your pistol qualified and really have nothing else to do this week."

Ellison thought about it and to him, it didn't sound like a such a bad idea, "Hell...why not. Let's get him a side arm and head over to the pistol range."

With everyone in agreement, Ellison headed over to the firing line to get Recruit Shepard and take him to the armory.

* * *

><p>Hew was have a grand time. He found the range easy and the ranges they had him firing at were laughable. <em>This is a dream! I'm firing at ranges I shot at on the streets with a weapon that was built for the ranges! This is awesome! I can't believe they're letting me do this! And I get three squares a day! If the Recruiter told me this, I probably would have joined anyways. <em>All these thoughts were running through his head as he hit the mark on the targets at 200, 300 and 500 yards. He was enjoying himself but little did he know, his marksmanship scores drew the attention of the Drill Instructors and Range personal. So when his Senior Drill Instructor called for him, he was a bit surprised.

"Recruit Shepard reporting as ordered!" Hew announced when he arrived to where Gunny Ellison was waiting for him.

"Well Recruit Shepard...Guess what." Ellison smirked.

Hew just looked at the Senior Drill Instructor with a lost look on his face.

"What? No guess?" Ellison quipped, "Well...you just qualified with the Assault Rifle. You know what that means?"

Hew thought for a moment and decided to go with something a little more classic to him," That this recruit will now spend his time assisting the other Primary Marksmanship Instructors?"

_That's what I thought he'd say, _"Actually...no. You get to try and qualify with a pistol now. How's that sound?"

Hew was a bit confused. _I thought we only got taught how to use the Assault Rifle? _"This recruit is a bit confused Sir. Isn't the Assault Rifle all we learn?"

"Any other time you'd be right, but since you maxed the range score you are being offered a privilege that few others will get. So what do you say? Are you game?"

"Yes...Sir!" was all Hew said. _So I get to learn how to use a pistol too? Ha! This should be fun._

"Get in the truck then. We need to go get you a pistol from the Armory and get you over to the Pistol Range."

"Aye aye, Sir!"

Hew moved to the truck and climbed into the back as Gunny Ellison climbed into the cab to take him to go play with a new toy.

After Hew had gotten his pistol checked out and Gunny Ellison took him to the Pistol range, the rest of the day was burned getting the safety and handling briefs. Later that night, after dinner and the platoon was winding down after a long day, was when Kitrina finally got a chance to talk with him.

"So what happened? I didn't see you down in the pits?" Kitrina asked with genuine curiosity.

"Oh yeah...well...I got to go to the Pistol Range and get some briefs on how to handle a pistol. So yeah, that's where I'll be tomorrow too." Hew answered.

For some reason, Kitrina was very excited about Hew's news, "Really? That's so cool! Your so lucky. You'll get to put another device on your uniform when we graduate. I'm so jealous. I'll have to wait till I get to my permanent command to qualify with the pistol." Kitrina punctuated her statement buy softly punching Hew in the shoulder.

"Ow," Hew said in mock hurt, "Really? I had no idea that that wasn't offered to everyone. That's enough about me ,how are you doing on the range Kitrina?" he was surprised to the fact that he was genuinely curious. _Well I did spend a week teaching her how to shoot...That must be it._

"Oh well...um...not that bad actually.I hit the target most of the time. I'm not as good as you but I seem to be getting the hang of it. It's not as simple as I thought it would be that's for sure." Kitrina replied with a slight smile.

"Well stick with it. You'll get the hang of it. Oh! That reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask you. I've been wondering, you grew up on military bases and ships right? Why are you unfamiliar with fire arms?" Hew asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kitrina just shrugged, "My parents wanted me to be a little girl while I was growing up. They both spent a lot of time keeping me away from that aspect of their lives."

"Well, it seems to have work out well Recruit Wolff. Kept from the Alliance and you end up enlisting anyways." Hew replied with a chuckle.

"It's not like that," Kitrina responded with a smile, "They just wanted me to have a normal life and make my own decisions for my future. When I told them I wanted to enlist, they supported me. It's just that too many 'Alliance Brats' enlist because that's all they think there is. My parents wanted me to choose my own future. That's all."

Hew sat in silence for a moment lost in thought, his smile fading away, "They sound like good people. You're lucky you had them to watch out for you."

Kitrina was surprised at how quiet Hew had become when he said that. _Almost like something he wants, _"Well...you know the story of me growing up...What about you? I mean, I know you came from Earth but beyond that I don't know much." she asked, watching as Hew seemed to close up into himself. _Like he's putting on armor...I wonder why?_

"You really want to know?" Hew asked with a side glance out of the corner of his eye.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know."

"Well...Here's the quick version. Picture your life, then think of the exact opposite. No family. No friends or anyone to care about me...but me. The earliest memory I have is living on the street looking for food. I eventually got found by a gang and they took me in and taught me skills I needed to survive. Not the big mystery you thought it was. All in all ,I'm the kinda guy your parents would kill to keep you away from." Hew explained, studying her face, watching for any sign that she didn't want to be anywhere near him now that she knew where he had come from.

Kitrina just sat there in silence. _He's a gang member? But he's so nice and patient. That can't be right...But it does explain a lot about what he knows,_ "Well...not anymore Hew. I consider you a friend and I don't care about your past. We leave those lives behind us when we enlisted." Kitrina responded after some thought.

Hew just stared at her. _She's either very naive, or very trusting. Do I deserve someone like that as a friend? _"I appreciate that Kitrina. You have no idea what that means to me. I have never had anyone I could call a true friend...Thank you."

Kitrina hid the blush that colored her cheeks, "Your welcome...Um...I think we should get to bed...you know...because we all have a busy day tomorrow."

Hew was a bit confused as he watched Kitrina climb into her rack. _Why does it fell like the humidity in the air just got thicker? _"Yeah...I guess sleep would be good idea." he climbed into his own rack and drifted off to sleep with his mind returning to what Kitrina had said.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week went by in a rush with Hew getting qualified on the pistol and then the Sniper Rifle. Much to the surprise of the PMI's and the Drill Instructors...well...all but one as Ellison was happily collecting his credits from Sgt. Johnson as the rest of the platoon was finishing up with the Assault Rifle, with Kitrina scoring a mid level sharpshooter ranking. Not the highest in the platoon, but respectful in it's own right. The platoon was brought back together for the field firing portion, everyone lined up but it quickly became obvious that it was a 'Shit and Giggle' shoot as there was no way for any one to keep score. The platoon eventually was told that this was a tradition, to not only get them used to the sound of gun fire, but also was a way for them to blow off some steam. The platoon had fun for the last two days on the range. The following week however, was dedicated to getting the platoon familiar with the Onyx Hard Suit personal defense and support system.<p>

"Good morning recruits! I'm Armory Chief Findlay and will be going over the Aldrin Labs Light Onyx P.D.S.S Hard Suit! This is the standard issue Hard Suit of the Systems Alliance Military. The one you will be learning to use is the Mark I. It's old, well used and the suit most Marines will be issued for various reasons. The Suits Range from Mark I to Mark X and three levels of armor protection! Only front line units get issued anything over Mark V. The only difference between the different levels is how new and the tech hard wired into them. The Mark I is primarily used in training situations such as recruit training and in ceremony purposes. So with out further ado...line up and get your Hard Suits!"

As the platoon lined up, Hew couldn't help but be excited, as he had never worn a Hard Suit before. He was used to wearing street clothes in firefights, so a Hard Suit, any level of protection for that matter, was a big deal to him.

"So what do you think it will be like?" Kitrina asked, interrupting Hew's thoughts.

"Huh...what...sorry. Say what?"

Kitrina giggled, "I was wondering what you think a Hard Suit would be like?" she repeated.

"I have no idea to tell you the truth. It kinda looks like a wetsuit but with armor pieces."

"You've worn a wetsuit before? Why? Did you Scuba dive and stuff?" Kitrina asked excitedly.

Hew just turned a gaze to her that she learned meant the question had something to do with his past.." Yeah...Something like that." was his deadpan response.

It took a while for the platoon to get their Hard Suits, due to the fact that male and female suits were different. When the Squad Leaders got to the Armory, they were all issued slightly different suits. The Squad Leaders suits had a sliver line from the shoulder pad, to middle and ring fingers. Hew's on the other hand had a gold stripe in the same position. When they got to the second window, they were issued helmets with the same color scheme. At Hew's raised eyebrow, the Private at the window explained the stripes were a sign of leadership. A sign of rank as it was. At that, Hew could only chuckle.

After everyone had their Hard Suits and were back in formation, the Armory Chief started to explain the finer points of the Hard Suit. Hew was a bit surprised that the suit was Zero G and E.V.A rated. _But it's so thin and flexible. _He thought. After several hours of briefs and practical application of the briefs, IE: donning and removing the suit, the platoon was run through emergency drills of donning the suit in timed intervals. The final drill was a 'live fire' run. After a final check by the Drill Instructors and the Armory Chief, the recruits were funneled into a large chamber, which after a couple of seconds, a VI made an announcement.

_"Warning...Warning...Hull breach detected. Decompression immanent. Ensure all E.V.A seals are sealed,"_ followed by the ubiquitous, _"Have a nice day."_ Which caused Hew to smile.

Twenty minutes later, the only sound Hew could hear was the sound of his own breathing. A nudge from his left was his indication that someone was trying to get his attention. As he turned, he noticed that it was Kitrina. He touched the side of his helmet and made a cutting motion across his throat, trying to convey that he couldn't hear a thing. There was a sudden crackle across Hew's hearing and he could all of a sudden hear everyone talking and some were panicking.

"Platoon! Attention!" Hew bellowed, hoping that the platoon could hear him and much to his surprise, the platoon responded.

Though he could not hear it, Hew felt the vibration through the metal deck plating as the platoon quickly slammed their heals together and assumed the Position of Attention. After several seconds, Hew ordered the platoon to fall in. When everyone was in formation and Hew stood at the head, the Drill instructors walked in, easily identified by the gold and red stripes running down their right arms...oh...and they were wearing their Drill Belts as well.

* * *

><p>Ellison was down right impressed. It took Recruit Shepard something like four seconds to get control of the platoon and get everyone in formation, "Impressive." was all the Senior could say.<p>

"Well...you think we should get in there? Or make them sweat a bit more?" Sgt. Johnson asked.

"Sgt. Johnson...do you really think their in there panicking right now?" Ellison asked with a grin.

"With all due respect Gunny...They always panic." The Sergeant responded.

"Really? How much you wanna bet?"

Getting a bit nervous, Johnson looked up to the Gunny and saw the grin, "How come I fell a bit worried with you grinning like that?" by this time, the Sergeant had made it to the monitors that showed the inside of the airlock, "Oh come on! How the Hell did he do that?" Johnson couldn't believe it, the platoon was standing at the POA in the center of the airlock with the Squad Leaders and the Guide standing in their proper places, as if waiting for the Drill Instructors.

Ellison just looked at the Sergeant, "What? You expected less from the "wonder' recruit?" his smile was blocked from view as he secured his helmet.

After all were ready, Ellison led them all into a secondary air lock which allowed them access to the primary air lock.

"Well...glade to see everyone is alive and well. Now down to business. One hundred years ago, the only thing a Marine had to be was a rifle man. Well now we get a new skill. Every Rifleman is Zero - G qualified. This is to get you not only confident in the Hard Suit, but familiar with a Zero G environment. Outside this air lock is a short obstacle course. It is pass or fail. You finish...you pass. You don't...well...it's self explanatory."

As Ellison was speaking, the external door to the air lock lowered to reveal the surface of Titan. The large mood was barren of any life, her surface nothing but a rocky landscape and her sky was nothing but the blackness of unobstructed space. The stars didn't even twinkle, as there was no atmosphere to speak of.

"Out there is the new battlefield people! I wont lie to you, I miss the days when all you had to worry about was getting shot and bleeding out! With this new battlefield, you need to be more aware of your surroundings in an environment where a sharp rock or a stray piece of debris can cause a suit puncture! The Hard Suits you are wearing have been designed to alleviate as many risks as possible, but be warned, they do not make you super heroes! They are a tool! A weapon to be used in the defense of our nation! Now...if there are no other questions...Drill instructors! Carry out the plan of the day!" Ellison finished up his speech and went to a viewing platform to observe the recruits as they ran the course.

* * *

><p>At first glance, the course looked simple...well...courses because there were two. One for solo runs and one for pairs, but after watching the other recruits run it, Hew noticed that in lower gravity, coordination seemed to be an issue. The recruits seemed to be over compensating and that was throwing everything off. He also noticed that recruits could go in one's or in pairs. The teams seemed to be having an easier time even though their course was twice as long. <em>I wonder if Kitrina will want to team up? <em>As the platoon was thinning out ,it was eventually the Squad Leaders and Hew's turn.

"Hey Kitrina...I was wondering if you wanted to run the course as a team?" he asked, wondering why he felt a gentle flutter in his stomach.

Kitrina was so busy watching the other recruits running the course, that she didn't notice Hew walking over to her. So when he asked his question, it was understandable that she jumped a bit.

"Huh...what? I'm sorry what did you say?" she stuttered.

Hew couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction, "I was just wondering if you were willing to run the course with me?"

Kitrina just stared at him, "What? Why would you want to run it as a team?"

"I just noticed that teams seem to run it easier. Thought it would give us the best chance is all." he lightly shrugged.

Kitrina was silent for a moment, glancing back to the course before looking up at Hew, " Sure...why not. You are usually right about this kinda stuff anyways."

"Excellent...This should be fun." Hew was unable to keep the smile from his face.

Once it was their turn, Hew and Kitrina took off at a run.

* * *

><p>Ellison was actually enjoying watching the recruits. It was the most entertaining thing he had seen all day, so when he saw Recruit's Shepard and Wolff moving through the course, he couldn't help but smile at the way they were working together. His smile slowly turned into an expression of amazement as he watched them move effortlessly through the obstacles, almost as if there was nothing there. <em>How are they doing that? I mean, he just happens to be where she needs him to be and vice versa. <em>His amazement grew as he switched over to the guide channel and heard little to nothing over it. All he heard was Recruit Shepard's breathing. From Recruit Wolff, all he heard was the occasional 'Here' and 'Ok' but Shepard was quiet the entire time. _Can he really read the situation that well? _Ellison was shaken from his musings when Sergeant Johnson spoke up.

"Holy shit! This can't be right. 23 minuets and 44 seconds. That has to be a new course record."

Ellison's attention was drawn back to the finish line in time to see both Recruit Shepard and Wolff standing with the rest of the platoon. Wolff seemed a little out of breath but Shepard was no worse for wear.

"What was the old course record Sergeant?" he asked.

"Um...I'll need to look that one up...Hold on," Sgt. Johnson scrolled through a datapad when he perked up with wide open eyes, "Old record was 25 minutes and 13 seconds for a pairs. I wonder how they would do as singles?"

Ellison raised an eyebrow, "That's an interesting idea...I wonder..." Ellison trailed off. " Have them run it again. This time as singles."

* * *

><p>Hew was just getting the platoon into formation when he spotted Sgt. Johnson jogging over, causing him to quickly reported in and awaited orders. He was a bit taken off guard with what the Sergeant had to say.<p>

"You and Recruit Wolff are to run the course again but this time, you're to run it solo."

Hew was quiet for a moment, "Aye aye Sir. When will we be required to run it?"

"Right now. Step to it."

"Understood Sir."

As Hew and Katrina made their way over to the course's start, her curiosity finally got the best of her, "Do you have any idea why we need to re-run it?"

Hew shrugged, "I really have no idea to tell you the truth...but when they say run it, you run it."

Kitrina was not too thrilled about that response, as she figured if anyone had any idea, it would be Hew, but he had this uncanny ability to pick up the littlest hint. When they arrived, they were both surprised to see the Senior Drill Instructor. _Wonder why he's here? _Both thought. Before ether one could voice that particular thought however, the Senior Drill Instructor answered it.

"I want you to run this course solo because I'm curious to see how both of you will do. Now, before you start...are there any question?" Ellison asked.

Both recruits responded with a negative but a sudden question popped into Hew's head then, "Which one of us will go first...Sir?"

"I'll let you decide that."

After that, the Senior Drill Instructor returned to the viewing area.

"So you wanna go first Kitrina, or do you want me to?" Hew asked.

"Um...I guess I'll go first."

Hew caught the very brief hesitation in her voice, "Why the hesitation Kitrina? You need to be more confidant with yourself. Remember...controlled movement. Don't over compensate. You can do this...I expect you to be waiting for me at that finish...Understood?"

Kitrina looked up at Hew, feeling herself grow warm at his encouragement, "I will do my best Hew...and I'll meet you at the finish."

"That's what I wanna hear...Now get going. I'll meet you there." Hew smiled, though it went unseen.

Hew watched as Kitrina started the course. _She can do it. I know she can._ His smile growing at the thought.

After the allotted time had passed, Hew began the Course. He found it a bit more difficult this time through, but he was able to easily compensate for the differences, though he did notice the parts where a partner would have come in handy.

A half hour passed by the time Hew completed the course and was happy to see that Kitrina appeared to have finished before him. It surprised him how much that mattered to him but quickly pushed that aside as he crossed the finish line. _Finally fucking done._

* * *

><p>Ellison just stood there with a smirk on his face. <em>That little smart ass did it. Wonder what his time was? <em>Ellison moved over to where Sergeant Johnson was looking up both recruits times.

"Well Sergeant? What were their times?" Ellison asked.

Sgt. Johnson just stared at the display. _That can't be right. There's no way they both did that, _"Your not gonna believe this. Check this out."

Ellison took the datapad from the Sergeant, curious as to why he appeared so shocked but when he read the data, his eyebrows arced in surprise, "Is this data right?"

"I checked the data against both the course's and their Hard Suit computers. The data matches Gunny." the Sergeant confirmed.

Ellison couldn't help but be impressed at the times but it was Recruit Wolff's time in particular that drew his attention. _He seems to push people to do better and Shepard seems to push himself harder when Wolff's around. I might have just found my two recommendations. I wonder if I can get the CO's __sigh off on it though?_

"Sergeant Johnson...I would like to talk to them. Bring them over."

"Aye aye Sir."

Sgt. Johnson jogged over to the finish line to fetch the two recruits.

* * *

><p>Hew was still catching his breath when he heard Drill Instructor Sergeant Johnson waving for him. He was a bit surprised that the Drill Instructor didn't just use the comm, but figured there was a good enough reason. When the Drill Instructor came to a stop, he didn't even get the chance to salute before he gestured for both Hew and Kitrina to follow. Hew saw Kitrina fiddle with her Hard Suit's Omni-Tool for a bit, but then...he heard her voice over his comms.<p>

"You know what's going on?" Kitrina asked with a little confusion in her voice.

"No...um...can't they hear us?"

"No. I set up a private comm frequency for us."

"Can't they still listen in anyways?"

"I set up an encryption so no...they can't." Kitrina replied with a smirk, as she was proud of herself for that little fact.

"I'm impressed but don't you think that the Drills'll get a bit upset about that?"

"That's part of the fun don't you think?" Kitrina replied with a full blown smile that Hew couldn't see.

"Oh is that right? I do believe that I have brought you to the Dark Side Recruit Wolff." Hew couldn't keep the smile and humor out of his voice.

It was unfortunate that Kitrina's response was halted by the fact that Sergeant Johnson had brought the two recruits before the Senior.

* * *

><p>When the Sgt. Johnson had the recruits before him, Ellison noticed that they seemed to have just finished a conversation but he had heard nothing over the comms. <em>Interesting...Could they have secured a private comm channel? I'll have to look into that. <em>He thought has he looked at the two recruits.

"Do you know why you're here?" Ellison asked.

"Kind of an extensional question Sir," Hew replied, "A little deep for us...isn't it?"

Ellison just stared at Recruit Shepard and had to fight to keep the smile from his face at the smart ass remark. _That little smart ass...I'll have to get even later, _"Real funny Guide...but no. I wanted to talk to the two of you about your times on the course."

"Did Recruit Wolff and myself not pass the course Sir?" Hew asked nervously.

"No...You two passed. Not only that, but Recruit Wolff finished in 34 minutes and 27 seconds on the solo course. You...Recruit Shepard, finished in 31 minutes and 32 seconds on the solo course."

After a moment of silence Kitrina finally spoke, "I'm afraid we don't know what that means Sir."

"On the co-op course, you completed it in 23 minutes and 44 seconds," Ellison finished, seeing both recruits still looking confused so he decided to elaborate, "The co-op course's best time is 25 minutes and 13 seconds, with the Solo course time being 35 minutes and 27 seconds." he stopped to let it sink in.

"Um...are not our times better Sir?" Hew asked, still with a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Yes." Ellison nodded.

"So we passed the courses?" Hew asked, again with confusion in his voice.

"All you needed to do to pass the courses was to finish the courses Recruit Shepard."

"Ok...I'll admit it. I'm lost Sir. I'm obliviously missing some thing. Would the Senior Drill Instructor please explain it to me?"

"Maybe later." Ellison said before walking off, barely able to keep a straight face. _Well that provided a chance earlier then expected._

* * *

><p>Hew was completely lost, as both their times were better then the course record.<em> So we should have passed right? <em>He couldn't figure it out. _Is he fucking with me? I mean, come on. What the fuck is going on? _He thought until his musings were interrupted by Sergeant Johnson's voice coming over the comms.

"The Senior Drill Instructor and his friend set the co-op record and apparently, his friend set the Solo course's." was all the Sergeant said before going silent.

_ Oh, I do believe I gone done and fucked up. _Was all that ran through Hew's head. _This is gonna be a shitty next couple of weeks. _When Hew glanced over to Kitrina, he could clearly see the same thought was running through her head.

** Two weeks Later **

The weeks flew by in a blur. The platoon finished up more classes and had some inspections, but it was all in all pretty simple. Now the fun got to start because Field week had arrived.

The Platoon hiked out several kilometers to the 'Bio Vac', a fancy word for campground and set up their shelters. The days prior, the squads were broken down into two and four man teams based on what the practical application station required. To no one's surprise, Recruit Shepard and Recruit Wolff were placed in a two man group, and in charge of their four man team.

The shelters were a lot different then what was used in earlier days of training, due to the gear the recruits were now required to carry and use. The trade off, was that the Hard Suits were a self contained system the recruits no longer needed to carry sleeping bags, canteens, or any number of extra equipment. Everything they needed was in the Hard Suit's hardened pockets or within the suit itself with the exception of the shelter. The shelter was more for hostel environments such as toxic environments or areas with no atmosphere. It gave the Marine a place to maintain the Hard Suit and their weapons in a relative safe place or in an emergency, a place to perform field first aid. It was very important for them to learn to set it up quickly and correctly. This was tested by the Drill Instructors pressurizing the interior and making sure it held a safe atmosphere.

After the camp site was set up, the platoon was broken down into it's four person groups before sending them to the conveniently positioned bleachers for some classes on safety and what they were going to be expected to do. The briefs lasted for several hours and when they had finally came to an end, the four man teams were given numbers and sent out to the field stations. Each group were lead by a Drill Instructor acting as a supervisor/proctor , as a third of the stations were verbal tests, another third was physical where the recruits got to go through the obstacles which the team had to work to get through. The last third was the practical exams, demonstrating military skills such as first aid, injured personal recovery and battle field repair of both vehicle and equipment. It was the first Aid station that Team One had found themselves at and Team One, consisted of Recruit Shepard and Recruit Wolff.

"Well good afternoon recruits. I'm Staff Sergeant Hussy. I'll be testing you on battlefield first aid. More accurately, battlefield rescue breathing or BFRB/CPR as it's called. Most of you already know how to do this from your basic first aid classes from Mars but here, it's a bit different. Here you have to work around a Hard Suit. There are three types of BFRB. The first or Type I, is what you already know...normal BFRB. Pretty much you come across an unconscious individual in working or Ship Board uniform. The Second and Third types, are for when the victim is wearing a Hard Suit. The second, or Type II, is used when the victim is in a safe environment. IE: A breathable atmosphere or a shelter where the helmet and Hard Suit can be removed. The third or Type III, is for when the victim is in an unsafe environment. IE: where the suit can not be removed. We will start with Type II. Recruit Shepard and Recruit Wolff will demonstrate. Recruit Wolff, lay on your back and pretend your unconscious. Recruit Shepard, I'll need you to kneel on her left side so you can access her Omni–Tool." the instructor explained.

As Hew and Kitrina got into their positions, Kitrina was actually getting nervous. _He'll have to put his mouth on mine...Why am I so nervous? It's just training. It doesn't mean anything. _She thought as she laid down.

"Alright...Recruit Shepard, go ahead and open Recruit Wolff's Omni–Tool and find the emergency menu. Oh...before we go any further, you need to know that it's not this easy to get to this menu. We have them unlocked here so we don't have to change the overrides every cycle. In a real world situation, your Omni–Tool will be loaded with a Bio Metric Key Code that will allow you to access this menu," the instructor explained while Hew went to find the menu, "The Key Code is hard wired into your issued Omni - Tool and contains authorization to any other Systems Alliance Hard Suit. It's pretty much all your information. That way, it can track who's doing what to another person's Hard Suit. It needed to be secure but had to allow any Marine to access another Marine's system. Anyway...back to the class. Recruit Shepard, have you found the menu?"

Hew showed the instructor that he had, indeed found the required menu.

"Good...Now select 'Emergency Suit Removal'."

Hew found and triggered the option, prompting the Omni-Tool to pop up an image of the Hard Suit.

"Good...See the image? Press the torso or chest part of the image."

Hew did as he was told and was rewarded with a series of hisses and clicks as Kitrina's torso section started to loosen.

"The reason the Hard Suit breaks down in sections is for several reasons. The first is for repair or replacement. The second is for medical reasons. The different sections of the suit can do many different things, such as immortalize a broken limb, support and take stress away from the spine, things like that. That way, you don't have to chose which injuries to deal with first. The Hard Suit is broken into seven main sections. Left leg, right leg, waist section, torso section, left arm, right arm and helmet. Each arm and leg section has two sub sections, upper and lower which includes the hand. As long as you are only dealing with one injury in each main and subsection, you don't need to be a medic," the instructor detailed before turning his attention back to Recruit Shepard, "Back to the task at hand. Using the emergency removal allows you to pull the torso piece into two pieces. Some Marines use this to break down the gear for storage but it's not recommended as the larger seals will need to be replaced more often. Recruit Shepard, go ahead and remove Recruit Wolff's torso piece."

Hew reached around and grasped the torso plate on opposite sides, pulling it straight up and placed it face down on the ground beside Kitrina. When he glanced back at her, he noticed that her helmet was still sealed around her head and neck.

"As you can see, the helmet activated it's emergency seals around Recruit Wolff's neck. Recruit Shepard, go ahead and select the helmet as well."

Hew accessed Kitrina's Omni–Tool once more and tapped the required icon, watching as the seals around her neck retracted with a barely audible hiss.

"Now you can safely remove her helmet."

Hew reached for Kitrina's head and gently removed her helmet, placing it on the dirt next to her chest plate.

Kitrina was just watching the whole time as Hew slowly removed pieces of her Hard Suit. It felt almost...erotic as he removed her protection in front of everyone and she had to fight to keep from blushing. It took everything she had to keep a blush from coloring her face.

"Ok...Now that we have her abdomen and mouth exposed, you can began rescue breathing. Recruit Shepard...If you would demonstrate the proper technique for everyone please."

Hew, without even thinking anything of it, leaned over Kitrina and cupping his hands, placing them on her chest just below the sternum as he was taught. He didn't seem to notice how close his hands were to Kitrina's breasts...but she did. He began to start compressions without pushing as hard as was needed so not to actually harm Kitrina.

"...27...28...29...30." Hew counted.

Upon finishing the compressions, he leaned froward, lifting her chin and pinched her nose before he brought his mouth to her's. His lips formed a solid seal around her mouth as he gave the first breath, then the second and third breath but he had felt something press against his teeth, or at least it seemed to. _It's probably just her teeth...I think. _Leaning back, he looked at Kitrina and saw that her cheeks started to color a little bit more with a blush, but seeing nothing out of the ordinary on her face he just brushed it off. _Yeah...It was her teeth._

_I can't believe I did that...I wonder... _Katrina had to work even harder to keep more color from rising into her cheeks but they sure did feel hot.

After the second round of compressions, Hew again leaned forward and lifted her chin. The first breath was met with nothing out of the ordinary. The second breath came and went, but he couldn't be sure if had felt the feeling against his teeth again, as it was so soft. W_ait...soft? Teeth aren't soft_. He thought as he administered the third breath. This time, he was positive he had felt a definite pressure against his teeth. Leaning back, he noticed something in Kitrina's eyes, something he could only describe as a twinkle but it was so minute, that he had to question whether he had seen it at all. _What the Hell_ _was that_? _Is she?...No. She wouldn't do that._ _That's so not like her. _He thought as he finished up with the third set of compressions.

"...27...28...29...30." Hew counted off once more.

Again, he leaned forward and lifted her chin, pinched her nose and creating a seal with his lips. To his shock, the pressure was there at the first breath and this time, he was able to discern that it wasn't her teeth. The second breath was met with more pressure and the third was met with...

_Was that her tongue? No fucking way! _He held the breath a little longer as the shock grew from the realization that it was Kitrina's tongue running along the inside of his teeth and sliding along his own. _This can't be happening...Not with Kitrina. She's so...so...she's fucking Kitrina! This can't be happening! _Hew finally removed his mouth from her's once he was positive that her what ever it was was back in her mouth but he could clearly feel his heart hammering in his chest and his hands were shaking. As he leaned back, his brow's furrowed as he saw the slight smile turn the corners of her mouth that she quickly covered up by licking her lips as if they were chapped.

_ I_ _can't believe I just did that. _Kitrina thought as her barely there smile faded from her face. She quickly licked her lips, acting if they were dry which they most certainly were not.

"That was done correctly Recruit Shepard. Now reattach her chest piece and helmet and switch places." the instructor broke through rising tension between them.

Hew quickly reassembled the Hard Suit and all the seals, taking a very quick moment to make sure they were attached correctly before switching places with her. _I wonder what she's going to try __now? Dear God...What's she gong to do?_

Kitrina was able to remove the required pieces of Hew's Hard Suit much faster then he did her's, due to knowing what to do from watching him. In a matter of moments, she had the torso piece and his helmet off. On the instructor's nod, she placed her hands on Hew's chest but by doing so, her mind reeled. _My God! He's so solid! _She thought as she began to notice the strong, solid thumping beneath her palms. _Is that his heart beat? It's so strong and soothing. _Kitrina thought but she nearly lost count as her mind wondered along a far different path. _What is my brain doing this to me?_

"...27...28...29...30"

As she leaned forward, she saw something in Hew's eyes that almost looked like confusion with a slight under tone of...fear? _That can't be right...Why would he be afraid? _As she brought her mouth to Hew's to make the seal, she couldn't help but notice that he was keeping his teeth together, nearly clenching his jaw to make sure nothing got in, or out. _Does he...No...Maybe he's just shocked. _Kitrina thought with a lightly smirk that was hidden due to both her hair and the fact that her mouth was against his. _What am I doing? I need to stop this. _

As she started the rescue breathing, her tongue ran across his teeth once more on it's own accord which only caused her to get a bit angry at the appendage. With the first breath, her tongue pressed against his teeth with only slight pressure. The second breath, her tongue applied a little more pressure but was still met against his clenched teeth. With the third breath, her tongue ran along his teeth and gums in a slow, seamless motion which let him know what she wanted...or what her tongue wanted. As she drew back, she saw the confused look on Hew's face deepen but the confusion was soon joined with damned up anger. _Why does he look angry? _She thought as she started another set of compressions.

"...27...28...29...30"

After finishing the second set,, Kitrina leaned forward again and noticed the same look of confusion, fear and anger in Hew's eyes. This time, she was a bit more forward during the breaths, though her nerves were raging which made it hard to concentrate on what she was doing. So much so, that her body just took over.

The first breath, she let her tongue drift across his teeth and gums again, just like they had but the second breath, she applied a constant pressure against his teeth. When the third breath came around, her tongue applied more pressure to no avail but she felt his jaw clench even tighter. She decided to go for broke, since she was pretty sure she was in hot water anyways, so she tried something different. As she started to pull away, she caught his lower lip between her own teeth for a brief second before letting it go so no one, but them, knew what had happened. Again, she saw the look in Hew's eyes as she sat but this time, another emotion had joined in the game. It was hurt. _Why would he be hurt? I must have done something wrong. _

As she finished with her final set of compressions, she finally got control of what her body was doing, this time, forcing her body to not trying anything. Now, she just wanted to finish so she could say that she was sorry, and that she didn't know what had come over her.

"Very good Recruit Wolff, but next time, don't take so long on the breathing. Keep them like you just did. Besides that, you did fine. Ok...You two are done. Get off the ground and make room for the next group."

Kitrina stood and turned to help Hew up but when she did, she found him already standing. Hew quickly recovered his weapons harness, which was easy to tell due to the fact that Hew's had a sniper rifle on it as well, instead of a weighted stand in like Kitrina's had. She noticed that he seemed to holding back his fuming anger and it caused her stomach to start flipping.

When she finally got her gear squared a way, she was startled when Hew grabbed her arm and began to pull her over to the side of the field, so no one could ease drop on them.

"What the Hell was that Wolff? What were you trying to do?" Hew snapped, trying to keep himself from yelling at the top of his lungs.

Kitrina was a bit taken as Hew was using her last name again, "What do you mean? Why are you so upset?" she asked, finding that she was starting to cower into herself.

"Why am I upset? You really have to ask that? Why are you trying to ruin what we have?" Hew hissed.

Kitrina's brows lightly furrowed, "What do you mean 'ruin what we have?' I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry if I was doing it wrong but I'm new to this. I'd be lying though if I said I hadn't thought about it before."

Hew just stared at her, "What do you mean doing it wrong? You WANT to be intimate?" He was completely confused, "Why the Hell would you want that? Intimacy has little to no meaning. It's a tool."

Kitrina felt her jaw drop, "You can't mean that...Do I mean nothing to you then?" she asked, feeling sadness creeping up in her throat.

"Where the Hell did you get that from? Your my friend...Hell...your my only friend. I'm not going to use you for that. You mean more to me then I thought you would so I'm not going to fuck up our friendship with sex." Hew said, clenching his hands into tight fists.

"I see you as a friend too but I've been feeling we could be more to each other. I don't know why I feel that way but I do. It's wouldn't be just about sex for me. I would like to take our friendship to the next level...but...it looks like you don't want to."

"Next level? What are you talking about? Intimacy isn't a step up...It's a step down. I would've given anything to have what we have growing up. I'm not going to Fuck this up Kitrina." Hew forced himself to breath.

Kitrina quietly gasped, "A step down? How can you say that? Being intimate is a step above friendship. It's supposed to be special and...You're special to me." she blushed hard.

"A step up," Hew shook his head, "Sex is a tool that's used by both men and women. Men use it to show dominance, power, and as stress relief but woman use it get what they want like protection and in the more desperate areas on Earth...money. So how exactly is that a step up? Can you explain that to me Wolff because I'm all ears." he exclaimed.

Kitrina couldn't believe what she was hearing. _Sex as a tool? Poor Hew. _She felt sorry for him in that moment, knowing that he thought that. _The purest expression of love between two people turned into a tool...a weapon to be used for one's own gain...Poor Hew. _

"Hew...Intimacy is not just sex or a tool. I'm truly sorry that it was perverted for you like that. Intimacy is an expression of the love between two people. A way for them to share how they feel with each other. It's not a way to gain an advantage. I'm sorry that you never had a chance to learn that but... I guess that's why I want to share it with you...So you can know what it means," she sighed, "Hew...you accepted me...Biotics and all. No one has ever done that. You know I've accepted you because if not, my Biotics would've affect you in a more violent way. Do you understand what I'm try to say?" she had to refrain from touching his arm to show that she was being sincere.

Hew was dumbfounded. At first, all he wanted to do was argue with her, but the more she explained what it truly meant, a new feeling started making itself known and it was one he had no idea how to explain. _Oh dear god...If what she's saying is true...then I've...Oh dear god. That can't be right. I needed to survive. I protected them. It was how you...we...I survived. I don't deserve her. I'm not good enough for her...for anyone like her. Jesus...I'm filthy. A dirty street thug and she's my friend...She's my friend...She's so clean and pure and I'm only going to make her dirty...Drag her down. She doesn't deserve that. She's too good for someone like me. I'm toxic...poison and she needs to stay away from me. To keep her safe I have to get away from her...NO! She makes me better. She sees the good in me. She makes me want to be a better man...a man worthy of her...someone that can exist in the light and not have to hide in the shadows. _The thoughts spinning through his head as the new feeling started to become stronger.

Kitrina was starting to get scared because Hew was just standing there, not saying a word. She saw his eyes darting left to right as if reevaluating his whole life, all his past choices and everything he had done in his checkered past. Her worry started to grow as she noticed that every time Hew looked at her, he seemed to flinch as if struck in the face. She panicked and didn't realize what she was doing until she was holding Hew's face between her hands.

Hew was panicking, on a downward spiral, lost in his own thoughts until he felt something on his face. He brought his eyes up only to see Kitrina's green eyes starring into his with sincere caring. _So green...So beautiful...So deep... So accepting.I could get lost in those eyes. _His brain reeled at his realization.

Kitrina was able to feel Hew calm down, his heart rate slowing and his eyes become clear, "Hew?...Are you ok? Are we ok?" the fear in her voice was obvious.

After a few calming breaths, Hew was finally able to speak, "Y-Yeah...I'm fine...We're fine. You just gave me a lot to think about is all but for now, we need to get back over to the team and get to the next station." he said, eager to just be alone in his own head to give him time to sort through things.

The rest of the day was filled with more stations, breaks for chow and more stations. Hew and Kitrina took whatever chances they could to talk through things, mostly spent having Kitrina explaining what intimacy meant to her and Hew found himself going from feeling like shit because of his past, to feeling a little better because she was spending time with him.

At the end of the day, the team was back at the Bio Vac getting some warm chow. They took advantage of that time too to talk. After dinner, the recruits broke off into their pairs to settle down for the night, thoughts of the day were still running through his head like they themselves were going FTL speeds. He was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice Kitrina crawl into the shelter and was still oblivious to her presence until she laid her arm across his chest. The sudden weight startled Hew from his musings, looking over to find that she had fallen asleep with a smile on her lips. It was a smile that only Hew was ever to see and he couldn't stop his own lips from adopting one as well. Not wanting to disturb her, he shifted just a little to place his hand over her's before he drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6: And you Thought Boot Camp was

Chapter 6: And you Thought Boot Camp was Hard...

_(Disclaimer:You all know the drill:I, Hewhoislost, own nothing in them ME universe. Though I wish I did. If the numbers fall right that might chance. All who the hell am I kidding I'll never own it. )_

_ (A/N: Yeah so here is the next chapter. Oh I slightly modified the Marine Corps insignia. No disrespect is meant, I just tried to make an insignia that represented that whole Alliance. )_

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After that faithful day at the First Aid station, the rest of field week seemed kinda dull, especially to Kitrina. She still couldn't believe what she had done, taking a huge risk like that right in front of an instructor where it could have easily been seen. She could tell Hew was still thinking it all over regarding what she had told him about her view on intimacy, but the stiffness in his posture spoke volumes.. _He's lucky he can think and hike at the same time...If I let mind wonder, I'd..._

As if to prove a point, her left foot got caught up on a rock and the only reason she didn't hit the ground, was because Hew caught her by firmly grabbing her upper arm. Kitrina looked up to see a soft smile across his face, knowing that he was pleased with himself that he had reacted quickly enough to halt her decent. He easily righted her and readjusted her pack, all without missing a step as they walked. Though aware of Hew's strength, it still made Kitrina's heart skip a bet at how easily he was able to catch, not only her, but her hardsuit and what little gear she was wearing strapped onto her back.

"Thanks Hew. That would have hurt...A lot." she provided a crooked grin as she planted her foot on the ground.

"No problem. That's what I'm here for. To keep you from getting hurt." Hew smirked, his tone more then filled with it's fair share of pride.

Kitrina felt a blush starting to color her cheeks as she continued their march. _That's been happening more and more lately. I wonder...what it could mean._ _Bah...I'm just over thinking things...That has to be it._

Hew caught a smallest glimpse of her reddening face as she turned away, knowing that she was trying to hide it from him, which she was failing at. _Is it wrong that I find that cute? Wait...Cute! Did I just think of her as cute? _He could only shake his head at the thought that quickly joined all the others that were happily bouncing around in his head like a hyper red sand addict after a hit. To focus his thoughts into something that at least resembled order, he looked up which he quickly realized, was a very big mistake. All the filled his entire field of view, was a monstrous, unruly looking mountain that was sure as Hell bigger then any hill he had ever seen. _They expect us to go up that? On half sleep, half rations and loaded with gear? You have to be..._

"...Shitting me." It was almost a whisper but it defiantly came from Kitrina whom was standing right next to him.

Hew had to do a double take once he heard the rather colorful word float from her mouth. He knew that Kitrina swore on occasion, but she did it so rarely that when she did, it surprised the Hell out of him.

"Well their Kitrina, you took the words out of my mouth. Quite the sailors mouth you have there." he smirked with a gentle nudge to her arm with his elbow.

Kitrina slightly froze and stared at Hew, opening her mouth to respond, but was silenced when the Drill Instructors called halt.

"WELL WELL! EVERYONE STILL SEEMS TO BE ALIVE AND BREATHING! AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE REACHED YOUR FINAL TEST! THIS IS MOUNT MOTHERFUCKER! EVERY MARINE THAT HAS EVER SERVED IN THE MARINE CORPS HAS CLIMBED TO THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN JUST LIKE THIS ONE! YOU ARE ALL PROBABLY WONDERING HOW DO WE PASS? WELL, IT'S REALLY SIMPLE! GET TO THE FUCKING TOP!" the DI bellowed.

Hew just had to stare at the gargantuan obstacle looming in front of him. _Just get to the top...That's it? Well...while were at it, why not shit gold and fart our asses to the moon. Wait...we're already on a moon...One out of three isn't bad. _With a quick glance towards Kitrina, he ordered his platoon to forward march.

To say the climb was difficult would be like saying a broken bone hurts. Sure, it gets the point across, but it really doesn't do it justice. To make matters worse, it rained had the previous night which was something you had to think about because they entire training facility was encased in a giant eco-dome. _Sometimes...I really hate the Drill Instructors. Fucking Titan weather machine. _

Despite all his grumbling about their current situation, Hew took it upon himself to make sure that not only did his platoon make it up the mountain, but they made it all together. The strong were helping the weak, the agile the less agile. Hell, he even had a guy with a broken arm. Sure, he had it splinted, but it still threw him off a bit. No matter what his platoon was comprised of, he was going to make damn sure that come Hell or high water, the platoon was going to make it. So as Hew was moving up and down the platoon, giving encouragement as best he could, and making threats where they were needed, he became aware that he was getting really tired, really fast. _Not going to happen. Pull yourself together dammit. You. Will. Not. Fail. Not here...Not now. _As Hew lifted his eyes toward the slight drizzle he could still feel starting to come down from the false sky, he caught Kitrina looking back at him with a soft gaze of concern on her face. _And sure as Hell not with her watching._

The final push was the hardest for them all, not only due to the quickly building fatigue that was making their muscles scream, but also because the rain had washed some of their path away, leaving Hew with no choice but to find a new path for the platoon to take.

Kitrina couldn't believe it. Her parents had never told her about this. Sure, it's obvious that they would have left some small parts of the training out, but they never even mentioned anything about a fucking mountain! Seriously, why leave this particular part out? If she would have known she would have spent more time learning how to climb, she would have turned into a billy goat to help with her foot placement problem. The only thing that eased the small feelings of betrayal, was the fact that she was doing better then the rest of the platoon, but not by much.

What made matters worse, was Hew seemed to take it upon himself to ensure that the platoon made it. _I want him up here with me. In case I need his help again. _She thought as she pushed on through her wanting Hew by her side, she knew that every time she was about to slip or fall, Hew was either there, or she caught herself before she hit the ground. She really couldn't be too upset as she watched Hew push the platoon with words, threats, and even physically from time to time, as she knew he was only doing what he thought the platoon needed in order to complete their task. _He really is something else isn't he? Yeah, he is. And look how the rain just seems to fall down his face and __back. Lucky rain...Wait what? You know what you thought girl. I did no such...I wouldn't...Oh shut up you! I need to concentrate or we'll both fall off this damn mountain. _Kitrina silently cursed at herself for her overactive inner voice which always seemed to provide it's two cents at the most inopportune times. However, she knew that just because she pushed the thoughts aside to worry about them later, it didn't mean that they weren't true.

Refocusing on her footing, she was just about to completely forget her past thoughts as she heard Hew's unmistakeable, at least to her, voice, but it was filled with anger.

"Oh you have got to be FUCKING me!" Hew's voice rumbled, full of more irritation then full on rage.

Kitrina looked up to see what Hew was cursing at, knowing full well that it most likely wasn't something good if the tone in his voice was something to go by, but the moment she did, her eyes grew wide.

What lay before them, was a washed out path for a good six meters. _What are we supposed to do now? We can't cross that. There is no way..._ Kitrina's thoughts trailed off as she and the rest of the platoon watched as Hew started to crawl, climb and otherwise move across what little there was of their dwindling path. After several minutes of holding their breath, Hew managed to make it across the swamping mud that more resembled bland colored pudding then anything that could have been walked on. He seemed to be looking around for something, as if he was inspecting the land or something of the like before he disappeared from sight. _Where'd he go? _She thought as her brows pulled together.

"He...Shepard! Shepard where are you?" Kitrina yelled, the fear slowly rising that something could happen, or has happened to him.

As panic was about to take over, a voice sounded from around the path but it's owner was still out of sight.

"I'm here! I think I found a way across!" Hew's voice grew louder as he came back into view, "I hope you all remember the Assault course because it gets a bit tricky if you don't keep your speed up."

The platoon was a bit confused, Kitrina most of all as she looked at Hew, wondering what was in store for them. Their confusion was short lived however, as the platoon watched Hew tie a rock onto a length of line he had carried with him and start to swing it over his head in quick circles. After four or five revaluations of the rope, he let the length fly, barely making it across the gap to be caught by one of the other squad leaders.

"Ok...I'm gonna need Rock, Bobo and Mic to hold that end and I want Sic, Heavy and Cry over here." Hew called out from across the mud pool.

At first, Kitrina was lost till she noticed the six largest recruits in the platoon moving to where Hew directed them, getting into a decent position to act as anchors for the rest of them. First, Rock tied the rope around his waist while Bobo and Mic grabbed ahold to form a solid base before Sic started across the gap, using the rope and cliff face as support. After he made it across, Heavy and Cry followed suit, using the exact same tactic to keep from flopping down into the sticky slop. None of it seemed to make sense until it hit Kitrina like a hammer as she remember that they had to cross a gap using a rope bridge in Assault training. Hew was using the six biggest recruits as support struts so that the lighter recruits could use the rope and cliff face to get across without having to wade through the mud. _This just might work. _She thought as a small smile start to creep across her tired lips.

"Alright...Everyone line up! Large to small!" he ordered, giving them all a couple extra seconds to get in line, due to their exhaustion, "Ok...Send the first one across! Take it slow!"

One by one, the recruits inched their way across the rope bridge, taking an extra moment to make sure that their footing was solid before taking their next step. The progress was slow, but eventually, all the smaller recruits had crossed, only leaving the three anchoring ones still needed to get across their makeshift bridge.

"Now you three come on over! One at a time! We're not in any hurry!" Hew weakly laughed, finding that his energy reserves were beginning to get tapped. _Fuck...I just want this to be over._

The first anchoring recruit made it across with no issues, as did the second until it finally came down to Rock.

"Leave the rope there and we'll pull you over!" Hew instructed to the last man still on the other side of the obstacle, "On three! Ready?"

"Ready." the platoon roared.

"Go!"

As Rock started to cross, Hew and the rest of the platoon pulled on the rope, hauling the large recruit through the ill looking pudding to the other side. The pull was rough, not only due to the heftier weight of Rock, but because the mud kept trying to suck him further into it. Once he was across, the rest of the climb was a Hell of a lot easier. Not only was their a path present and accounted for, the mountain had taken on a much smother grade and the rain had little effect on the concrete.

Concrete?_ What the Hell is concrete doing here? How did they even get it up here?_ Hew's unvoiced questions were answered as the top of the hill came into view. It was flat, paved, and completely dry. There wasn't even any evidence that it had received any rain from the downpour the night before. That's when Hew saw the Drill Instructors, trucks, and buses, all happily sitting on the flat plateau. _That's how they beat us up here. _When Hew got the platoon into position, he called them to Attention and reported in.

"Platoon 2139, all present and accounted for Sir!"

* * *

><p>After forty five minutes had passed, Gunny Ellison was starting to think that he had put too much faith into Recruit Shepard. <em>If he can't lead them up a muddy hill, is he really ready? <em>However, just as he finished his thought, his fears were laid to rest when not only Recruit Shepard, but his entire platoon coming around the bend covered in copious amounts of mud. _What the Hell happened to them? _

"Would any of you like to explain why you all look like you all mud wrestled and lost?" Gunny Ellison called out after they had all formed up and come to a halt.

"A portion of the trail was washed out and we had to get a bit creative to cross it Sir." was the answer that Recruit Shepard gave.

"Oh is that all? Wait...What do you mean the trail was washed out?" Ellison asked puzzled.

"A six meter gap in the path about a quarter of the way back. It was just gone Sir." Hew answered, his shortness of breath evidence.

"Well then how the Hell did you get across?"

"We used a rope Sir." was the deadpanned response. _We done with twenty questions?_

Ellison just stared at Shepard, "You used a rope?"

"Yes sir...A rope." Hew over annunciated the word 'rope' so that the 'P' popped at the end.

Ellison pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. _I see his sarcasm hasn't wained at all, _"Go ahead and break out some chow and settle down while we wait for everyone else." he ordered with a long, drawn out sigh.

"Aye aye sir," Hew nodded before he turned to face the exhausted platoon, "You heard the Senior! Grab some chow!" he ordered as he too, sat down with an exhausted and sore groan.

"Do you think the other platoons will get here anytime soon?" a soft voice asked as the person whom it belonged to sat next to him.

Hew looked up to see Kitrina had sat down next to him, her face looking at him with a drying smear of mud across her cheek. _She's got a pretty face. _He thought quickly before he even noticed it, "Um... what?" he had lost track of her question.

Kitrina giggled a bit at Hew's lost look, "I asked if you think the other platoons will get here any time soon?" she repeated.

"I really don't know. We had to get a bit creative with the rope thing, but I guess if they have the same idea than yeah. It should take them the same amount of time that it did us." he finally answered as he prepared his meal.

"I guess your right," she shrugged, regretting the movement as he muscles had already started to become sore, "So what are you eating?" she asked, wanting to make some small talk as they got to rest.

Hew glanced at the MRE in his hands before glancing back at Kitrina, "Jambalaya...I think. Why?" he too shrugged.

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to trade. I have beef patty." her eyes seemed to light up just a small bit.

Hew looked between Kitrina and his chow a couple times before finally resting his gaze on Kitrina, "But I like Jambalaya."

Kitrina pouted at first, but it soon turned into a soft laugh before returning to her own MRE.

_I could get used to hearing that sound. _Hew mused as he went back to eating his food, falling back into their companionable silence that always gave him that sense that he wasn't alone.

Several hours passed until the other platoons finally arrived, none of them nearly as muddy as Hew and his platoon was which told him, that they didn't have the same trouble that they had had. As they all reported in, Hew eavesdropped to find out why, which was quickly answered; they all had to backtrack to the base of the mountain and take an alternate route. _Ha! We win._

As the last platoon eventually staggered in, the Company Commander stood up on a raised platform and started talking, immediately causing every recruit to spring to their feet.

"Attention Marines! Yes, I just called you Marines! Upon reaching the top of this mountain, this Reaper, this Crucible as it were, you have finally been forged into something greater then what you were! When you stood on those yellow footprints all those months ago, you were all different! Some were Spacers! Some were Colonialists! Hell, some were even Earthborn! But after today, none of that matters, for you are now all Systems Alliance Marines! A family in and of itself! Look to your left, right, behind and in front of you! Those men and women are now your brothers and sisters! You all have done what many have tried and failed to do! Today, you all proved that you earned the right, no, the honer and privilege to hold the title of Marine and know that no one can take that away form you! We are the smallest branch of the Alliance military, but we are the tip of the spear and the edge of the sword! We are the first to fight, the last to leave and the only ones who actually understand just what that means! At the founding of the Alliance, the other branches had to be completely broken down and reformed to function, but not us! We were able to work with our Australian, British and all of our brother countries' Marine Corps with no reformation! We can trace our origins back almost 300 years! We have always been the front line to draw first blood; the one branch that our enemies whispered about in the darkest of shadows! The one that was and still is feared! Though our insignia has changed, our core values have not! Honer, Courage and Comment still ring true! We never take the easy way out, we will always stand for the weak and defenseless! Never let anyone or anything tell you other wise! Drill Instructors, give these Marines what they have earned!" the Company Commander finished with a rough and tumble 'Ooh-raw' that caused the recruits to repeat the war cry.

Hew was so absorbed with what the Company Commander had said, he didn't notice Gunnery Sergeant Ellison standing before him until the very last minute.

"Recruit Shepard! Front and center!" Ellison barked.

Hew quickly moved to the designated spot where the Senior Drill Instructor attached the Alliance Marines insignia to his left chest plate. He briefly looked down at the insignia before he looked back to the Senior Drill Instructor, trying to hold back the grin from his lips. _I did it. I fucking did it. I got my second chance at life...at freedom. _Hew couldn't stop himself from glancing back at the platoon, well the squad leaders, or more accurately, Kitrina. _Maybe even a real chance at friendship...or...something more...maybe._

After everyone received their insignias and formed back up, the platoons heard the command that they have been working towards for several months.

"Marines! Forward! March!"

Hew couldn't help but smile at being called a Marine. Only a few months ago, he had been called everything from a juvenile delinquent, to a no good, useless bastard with no future. His smile grew once he noticed how close to the barracks were. _Oh thank God. _He thought as he just kept marching.

After they covered the remaining distance, the platoons were released to secure their gear, deal with hygiene and put on clean uniforms. No one really had anything to say, as they were all too tired to even speak, so they just got cleaned up and reformed up to be taken to the chow hall for their 'Warriors breakfast.' At first, Hew didn't understand, but then it hit him like a punch to the noise when it was his turn to get food.

Anything a hungry person could want to eat was displayed before him, ranging from veggies, to enough meat for him to completely gorge himself on. He opted to get just his regular breakfast; pancakes, two eggs over hard, a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice which was just fine with him. What really surprised him however, was after he got his food, the server asked what else he wanted and he couldn't help but pop an eyebrow. He still didn't understand why, but then he noticed that everyone else in the chow hall had a Biotic sized portion on their plates.

"No thank you, I'm fine for right now. Too much food will only make me sick." he answered the server as kindly as possible.

Just as he finished speaking, almost as if to prove a point, the sound of someone vomiting could be heard across the chow hall, soon followed by the boisterous sound of laughter from the Drill Instructor's table.

"See?" he lightly smirked.

The server only chuckled a bit before waving Hew along, grabbing a bunch of power bars, as was his habit, before he walked to a table where he saw a couple open seats. After sitting down and beginning to enjoy his meal, he was joined by Kitrina, causing him to glance up to acknowledge her as she sat and noticed her full plate, correction, her very full plate.

"It's nice to see you finally eating right. Hell, even I'm planing to getting seconds." he chuckled, taking another large bit to nearly finish off his eggs.

Kitrina looked a little confused at Hew's comment until she looked down at her plate to see the mini impression of the mountain they had just got done climbing not that long ago. Unfortunately, it caused her to get self conscious at the amount she could pack away.

"What do you mean?" she slightly began to cower into her shoulders.

"It's just you always seem to never eat enough. It's like you hold back or something. A person can't live on power bars alone Kitrina." he lightly shrugged.

Kitrina looked back to her tray, then back at Hew, remembering all the times he had brought her extra food in the form of power and energy bars. A small smile began to cross her lips. _He's always looking out for me. He's never judged me because I'm a Biotic. _

"Well, it's the warrior's breakfast after all. I have a valid excuse to pile it on. Speaking of which, why so little on your tray? Isn't that what you always eat?" she replied.

"First off Kitrina, you never need an excuse to pile it on. Need I remind you, you're a Biotic. You _need_ the food. You should never be ashamed of what you , I could care less how much you eat. Your materialism burns calories fast so you have to take in a lot more then I do. Thirdly, I find it kinda nice that you can eat more then me. It's refreshing to see a woman with a healthy appetite. As for me, I'm good with what I have and as I said before, I'm going to get seconds. I know if I eat too much in one go, I'll just regret it later." Hew elaborated on this by nodding towards the guy cleaning up is own vomit.

Kitrina could only shake her head as they spent the rest of the time filling it with random conversations about everything they couldn't talk about for the last four months. After two more trips to the chow line for refills and casual conversation with not only Kitrina, but other members of the platoon, they finally finished and formed up to head back to the squad bay.

It was official, field week came to an end, none to fast for the recruits, well, all but two to be precise. While everyone was turning in their gear and hardsuits, Hew and Kitrina were still talking like they hadn't seen each other in years. Kitrina was Hell bent on showing him what a life outside of a gang could be like. After several hours, the platoon had all of its gear turned in and were heading to the barracks to do the same thing with the rest of their gear because in the morning, they were all headed back to MCRD Mars for the last two weeks of boot camp and the platoon couldn't be more excited.

The flight back to Mars was uneventful to be honest. Hew figured it was a good time to catch up on some sleep he had missed out on during field week. As he was about to drift off, he felt someone sit down next to him and this someone had a calming presence that caused his lips to grow a very soft, nearly unnoticeable smile.

"What's up Kitrina?"

Kitrina was a bit surprised when he spoke up, not evening opening his eyes, but yet, he knew exactly who it was. _How did he know it was me?_ Pushing that thought to the side, she got back to her train of thought.

"Not much. Just board I guess. What do you think we'll do when we get back to Mars?" she asked with a quick glance over to him.

Hew shifted his body to face Kitrina and opened his eyes, "As far as I know, all we have left is final drill, a uniform inspection for a uniform we don't have yet and grad ceremony practice. Did I miss anything?"

"I know all that Hew, but what do you think it'll be like? I mean, we'll be the senior company on the depot. We're two weeks from graduation Hew. Aren't you the least bit excited?" she lightly smiled, trying to hold back her excitement for the coming graduation.

"Why should I be excited? We're still two weeks out. A lot can happen in that time. I'll hold my excitement till grad day Ok?" Hew grinned a crooked grin at her in hopes that it was more reassuring then cocky.

"Well, your no fun. Always seeing everything so logically," she huffed, leaning back into her seat, "What do you want to do until we get to Mars?"

"Well, we're all alone back here and you're trying to convince me that intimacy is a good thing so...we could fool around a bit if you want." Hew replied in a serious manner, rather enjoying her squirm in her seat.

"Wait...What?...I...you...here?...No" she harshly stuttered.

Hew couldn't hide the smile that turned up the corner of his lips as he watched Kitrina's face turn all sorts of funny different shades of red, "I'm kidding Kitrina. You need to relax and calm down. Your always wound up so tight. I was planing on sleeping. It's usually a good way to pass the time. Did you think I was serious?" he started to chuckle.

Kitrina just stared at him, having a hard time believing that he had just done that and in a loaded transport that ran the risk of having someone overhear. The only thing she could think of doing in response to the brazen comment was to punch him in the arm. The fact that he was just laughing at her only served to make her angrier which drew her closer to fulfilling her wish to place a harsh bruise on his upper arm.

"I knew you were joking and was just playing along," she quickly said, still trying to hide her radiating blush, "Sheesh...men are all the same. Always thinking with their _little_ head." she scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

"Mine's not so little." Hew said before he turned over and seemingly drifted off to sleep.

Kitrina just sat real still in her seat, stunned speechless at Hew's quick rebuttal. _Wait...what did he just say?_ She thought, still shocked at what she just heard.

Both Hew and Kitrina eventually fell asleep after a terribly long silence between them, only Kitrina feeling awkward from the rather odd turn of their conversation before she passed out. Unknown to Hew, was the fact that Kitrina had used him as a pillow, but the strangest thing was that it was the first time Hew slept peacefully and had pleasant dreams, instead of the pits of Hellish nightmares.

After finally arriving, the platoon went through the motions of off loading the transport and settling into their new barracks, specifically reserved for the senior companies. Much to everyone's surprise, the squad bay seemed to be divided into two man state rooms, well, partitioned spaces with wall lockers for each man.

"ALL RIGHT MARINES! GET OUTSIDE! WE'RE GOING SHOPPING!" one of the DI's bellowed with a hardy smirk plastered across their faces.

After everyone was formed up, the Drill Instructors marched the platoon to a warehouse near the back of the training depot. It looked like all the other buildings around the depot, it's outer skin a dull grayish blue with no windows to speak of. Once inside, the platoon was greeted with a vast fabrication facility that seemed to go on forever. The facility dipped down below the moon's surface and had an unknown amount of machines lined up in long, unbroken rows.

"ALL RIGHT EVERYONE! YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET ISSUED YOUR SERVICE AND DRESS UNIFORMS! IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE! YOU STEP UP TO THE SCANNER, SWIPE YOUR ID AND HOLD STILL! BREAK DOWN BY SQUADS! SHEPARD YOUR FIRST!" the DI yelled.

Hew stepped into the scanner and ran his ID through the reader, confirming his information and stood as still as possible as the scanner produced a bright light that slowly crept along his body, starting at his feet. After several passes from three different angles, Hew finally saw a green light that gave him the go ahead to get out of the scanner. Upon exiting, he found himself confronted with a large omni-gel converter that was humming as it began to work. After several minutes, a beep sounded from the device as a compartment slid open, reveling several sets of uniforms, three different hats and a garment bag large enough to carry it all. He looked at the uniforms and noticed that they had the required ribbons, medals and devices already in their proper places. _Huh...that makes it easy. _He gathered up his uniforms and placed them in the provided garment bag, before heading out to where the platoon was to form up, taking an extra minute to admire them and try to imagine what he would like dressed in them. The next one out from the scanner was Kitrina, which was no surprise since she was first squad leader, but as she walked up, Hew noticed that she had two garment bags.

"Why two?" he asked with an eyebrow popped.

"I have twice as many uniforms as you because of those horrible skirts and twice as many dress uniforms. Can you believe it? They gave me a freaking dress. " Kitrina grumbled as she noticed Hew's quirking lips.

Hew looked at his bag, then at Kitrina's two, " Well? Is it a nice dress at least?"

"You'll just have to wait and see now won't you." Kitrina replied with a side long glance and a slight smile. _Do I really want him to see me in a dress? I don't even wanna see me in a dress._

After several hours, the entire platoon was reformed with all of their new uniforms in hand for the quick march back to the squad bay. Once they had gotten there, the Drill Instructors demonstrated how to properly stow the garments in their wall lockers so that they didn't get wrinkled.

The last two weeks went by in a blur, what with between the uniform final fitting and the near endless inspections, final drill and grad practice and all. Hew was surprised that there seemed to be more going on during these last weeks than the rest of training put together, but the most surprising was when Gunnery Sergeant Ellison called both Kitrina and he into the Duty Hut right before they were granted lights out.

"Lance Corporal Shepard! Private First Class Wolff! Report to the Duty Hut!"

Hew shot Kitrina a quick look, receiving a shrug in response before they headed to the Duty Hut in confusing. After pounding the pine and reporting in, they found themselves standing in front of the Senior's desk at the position of attention.

"Do either of you know why I called you in here?" Ellison asked them after he let them stew for a bit.

Hew again glanced over towards Kitrina and again, received a shrug, "We have no idea, Sir...er...Gunnery Sergeant" he quickly corrected.

The Senior raised an eyebrow at the slip, but decided to let that one slide, "Well...You two have been given a unique opportunity. You have both been selected for N specialty training right out of boot camp. It's quite the honor. Usually, only one gets tapped out of boot camp, but you two seemed to have impressed the right people."

"When do we report to training Gunnery Sergeant? Do we go straight after grad or wait until after leave?" Hew straightforwardly asked.

"You'll get your boot leave and then you'll report to Arcturus Station. Your orders will be issued to you after graduation. Any questions?" Ellison quickly answered.

"None at this time Gunnery Sergeant. How about you Kitrina?" Hew asked, looking to Kitrina for an answer, but only receiving a single shake of her head.

"Well, then you two are dismissed. Go get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long ass day."

"Aye aye Gunnery Sergeant."

"Aye aye Gunnery Sergeant."

As Hew and Kitrina left the duty hut and headed for their state room, Kitrina turned to look at him while trying to holster her escalating excitement, "Can you believe it? We graduate tomorrow! I'm so excited, I can't believe it's here already! Oh God...I just remembered my parents are gonna be here tomorrow." Kitrina couldn't help but sallow the nervousness building in her throat, which wasn't making it easy for her to keep her voice down so she didn't bother any of the other recruits.

Hew, however, was not sharing her enthusiasm. _Why would she be so nervous about meeting her own parents? _"Are you ok Kitrina? I thought you and your parents got along. Why so nervous?" he asked, allowing Kitrina to enter first before he followed and shut the door.

"What? Of course I get along with my parents, it's just that after tomorrow, I'll have to salute them and call them Sir and Ma'am. I just never realized that until now is all. It's weird. I spent my whole life calling them mom and dad, but tomorrow they outrank me. Ya know?" Kitrina tried to explained, her shoulders lightly shrugging at the thought of having to salute her own parents.

"Um...No...No not really. In the gang I was feared and even my supposed superiors never really told me what to do. I never really had to deal with the whole parents thing." Hew slowly shook his head, sitting down onto his bunk and taking off his boots.

Kitrina just stared as her face started to turned red again, but then it clicked, "Oh Hew, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that." she backtracked, her face saddening as her mind put together a mental of a younger Hew, abandoned on the streets and alone.

"It's ok Kitrina. I know you didn't," he sent her a soft, somewhat forced smile to help reassure her that he wasn't upset with her, "Well, we should get some sleep. Busy day tomorrow." he quickly changed the subject, not really wanting to waste the time, or the energy talking about his shadowed past.

"Ok...That sounds like a good idea. Good night Hew." she returned the smile as she finally sat down, took off her boots and laid down to get some much needed rest.

"Good night Kitrina."

As Hew drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but think about what Kitrina said about parents. Not what she said that night, but what she had said over the last couple of months. _Could it really be worth it? Parents...Such a simple word which means so much to everyone else...Ah fuck it. I'm tired. Time for bed. _

_***_(^^)( ^^ )(^^)***

The following morning was all out chaos, what with getting the parade deck set up and the bleachers cleaned and ready to go for all that coming guests that were due to arrive. The platoon was finally all formed up and ready for the ceremony, all dressed up in their Alliance Blues without a hair out of place. Hew was surprised at how nervous he felt, not even when he was involved in shootouts. With a quick glance, he could tell that Kitrina was feeling the same way, her face all the evidence he needed as a tiny bead of sweat had begun to form along her brow. Taking a deep breath to center himself, he readjusted his grip on the Guide-On and wiped his sweaty hand on his trousers so that he didn't drop it during the ceremony, as that was the last thing he wanted. _I am not dropping this thing in front of all those people. I didn't used to care about crap like that. Jesus...I've changed. _

Now calm, Hew was ready to face the countless strangers that would be in the bleachers watching the ceremony, most of them there for someone that was most likely standing behind him, including Kitrina. That's when the Call to Arms sounded, calling every one present to the position of attention as the ceremony had begun. Hew was rolling his head to work the kinks out of his neck when Gunnery Sergeant Ellison walked up to him.

"You ready for this Shepard?" Ellison whispered.

"I really don't have much of a choice now. If I don't go through with this, I'll let someone else down...So yeah, I'm ready Gunnery Sergeant." Hew answered with another deep breath.

"That's good to hear. It's nice to see you all grown up." Ellison smirked.

"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you Gunnery Sergeant."

The Gunnery Sergeant raised an eyebrow at Hew's admission, "Let's get this started then. After all, it's the first day of the rest of your life Shepard."

Hew never thought about it that way, "I suppose you're right sir. It's a fresh start as well." he said with a short nod.

Gunnery Sergeant Ellison smirked as his cue came up, "PLATOON! A...TEN...TION!" after the shortest of pauses he continued, "FORWARD MARCH!"

The platoon snapped to attention and began to march forward in time to the Seniors' cadence, curving around the bleachers to come into full view of the spectators. That's when Hew got his first good look at the crowd. _Holy shit! That's a lot of fucking people! _The bleachers were packed to say the least, but what surprised him the most was the sheer amount of Alliance Military members that made up most of the visitors. Right in the middle of the bleachers was a viewing platform that housed the command staff an VIP's and judging by the way the people were not only dressed, but how they looked, they had been around a while. He was uncertain if Kitrina's parents were on the platform, or in the bleachers but he was well aware that they were in there, where ever they were. _Lets make this look good. _

Hew, for the first time in his life, was concerned about what someone would think of him, specificity the one person whom gave him the time of day...Kitrina. He made sure that each movement of the Guide-On and his own drill movements were perfect. No mistakes. He was so focused that when the Senior called out halt, it felt as if no time had passed from the first command to now.

Upon their given order, the platoon right faced, cueing Hew to take his position at the front of the platoon, next to the Senior Drill Instructor where he came to the position of attention and allowed the Guide-On to slide down to the ground. It made a clicking sound from the brass cap on the end coming into contact with the concrete. After the rest of the company stood at attention and the Senior Drill Instructors reported into the Commanding Officer of the Recruit Depot, the CO looked over the gathered freshly minted Marines and prepared to speak.

"Today, we stand before the next generation of Marines; the next line of defense that will relieve our older defenders and allow them to rest in the peace that they gave their lives to gift us. You all have earned the right and privilege to call yourself Marines, despite coming from different backgrounds. After today, you all belong to a new family. The Marine to your left and right is your brother and sister. After today, you will quickly come to know that they will always be there for you when you need it most. The Alliance Marine Corps was founded by merging the Marine Corps of all the countries of Earth when it was realized that the Alliance needed a force to defend itself. The only difference between the Marine Corps of the past and what you are today is not a damn thing. Though the insignia is different, the important parts are still the same. The eagle, once representing only one country now stands for a force always on the alert. The anchor represents our founding as a branch of a sea faring warrior and the symbol of the Alliance represents a force of galactic readiness. Though you may not all serve together, or have the same military specialty, you are all marines and never should you forget that," the Commander Officer paused, letting the dramatic words take their effect on all within the sound of his amplified voice before he drew his speech to a close, "Now for what you have all been want to hear...MARINES ATTENTION!"

The assembled Marines, even the ones in the bleachers, stood to come to the attention, causing the Commanding Officer to look around and see everyone rendering their proper respects. A satisfied smile crossed his face before he called out the command that everyone on the Parade Deck had waited five months to hear.

"DISMISSED!"

The Senior Drill Instructors turned to the newly minted Marines, rendered a salute then repeated the order that sent the audience into a roar of applause and cheers. To Hew however, it seemed so anti climatic. After five months of some of the most demanding, both physical and mental, training that he had ever gone through, it all ended with a single word after a short, yet dramatic speech. _I wonder what I was expecting?_ He thought until his internal musings were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Can you believe it Hew! We made it! We graduated! Aren't you excited? I know I'm excited!" Kitrina beamed with the widest smile across her face.

Hew couldn't help but smile back at her excitement, as it was pretty contagious. What happened next though, was something he never would have expected, as he found himself wrapping Kitrina in a hug and lifting her up off the ground. After a few moments, Hew actually felt himself beginning to relax as a smile spread across his face, his arms easily holding Kitrina and his head tucking into her shoulder. _Yes we did...we made it and...this...this feels good. _He admitted to himself as he closed his eyes.

Kitrina couldn't believe what was happening. Hew had her in a tight embrace and had her dangling in his much thicker arms off her feet. Purely on instinct, she found her arms returning the embrace with her face buried in his neck to smell his bland, but fresh and clean scent on his skin. Kitrina hoped that this moment could last forever. They both remained like that for several seconds, just relishing in the feel of each other. _Nothing could ruin this moment. _She thought as her grip tightened to hold him closer.

The sound of someone clearing their throat broke Kitrina from her thoughts, causing her to look up and see two Alliance officers in their Dress Blues. The one who cleared his throat was an Alliance Captain with light brown eyes, reddish brown hair that was streaked through with gray, lightly tanned skin and standing significantly taller then Kitrina herself with a slight frown on his barely aged face. Next to him, was another Alliance Officer, a Lieutenant, with striking green eyes, straight strawberry blond hair, pale skin and stood only slightly shorter then Kitrina, but she had a smirk on her face that was verging on the borders of a full blown grin.

Kitrina quickly untangled herself from Hew's embrace and rendered the proper greeting to the two Alliance Officers, "Good Afternoon Sir...Ma'am." she stood rigid and wide eyed in front of the pair.

Hew, somewhat startled by Kitrina's sudden actions, glanced to where she was looking which forced him to straighten his stance while turning to the Alliance Officers and following Kitrina's lead.

The Captain was the first to speak, "Congratulations on graduating you two. Honor Guide isn't something to scoff at. That took some hard work." the man said, sending a nod to both Hew and Kitrina.

"Thank you Sir. I'm sorry, but I didn't get your name Sir." Hew responded in a kind and respectful tone.

The smile that crossed the Captain's face sent a warning tingle down Hew's spine that he was all too familiar with.

"The name is Wolff...Captain Darien Wolff and this is my wife, Lieutenant Hannah Wolff. I'm sure you already know our daughter Kitrina." the Captain answered, gently placing a hand on his wife's shoulder.

Upon the mention of the name, Hew squared his shoulders, pulling himself to his full height which was only slightly taller then the Captain himself and replied in a smooth voice that surprised both Kitrina and her father, "It's an honer to meet you both. If it wasn't for PFC Wolff here, I probably wouldn't have graduated Sir." he nodded, tightly clasping his hands behind his back.

By this time, the smirk on the Lieutenant's face had grown into a full blown grin, " So? Are you two close?" she beamed.

Hew was a bit caught off guard by the question, causing him to hesitate and leaving his mouth stuttering as it tried to find a way to answer, but in that small silence, Kitrina jumped to his rescue.

"Well, I don't know about close, but when LCpl Shepard was made Guide, he chose me for First Squad Leader." she lightly smiled.

"So you didn't earn it Kit? It was given to you? Not what I expect..." Captain Darien Wolff began until he was unexpectedly interrupted.

"With all due respect Sir, PFC Wolff is a fine Squad Leader and I wouldn't have placed her in a position I didn't think she could handle. You can ask anyone from the platoon and they would tell you the same thing. She's a born small unit leader, quick on her feet and able to think outside the box. If anyone wishes to challenge that, then let them. I for one will always back her and she will have my support." Hew said, swallowing the surprise return of his nervousness as a quick flash of getting punched in the face ran through his head. _I'm gonna get punched...By Kitrina's father...In the face. _He tried not to grimace.

Captain Wolff was taken aback by Shepard's deference of his daughter. In the entire time she was a child, no one besides him or Hannah had ever stood up for her when she needed it, partly in due to her abilities. The poor girl was shunned by most for being a Biotic and they had grown to believe that she would always have to be the one to defend herself, but here stood a young man, all clean cut and groomed, stepping up to the plate without so much as a second thought.

"Well then, I see that you would defend those under your command. In all my years, I've only met a handful of enlisted and officers that would do that. Keep it up. it's a very rare trait." Captain Wolff said without sounding upset at Hew's interruption.

Before anything else could be said, Lieutenant Wolff spoke up, "So anyways Kit, are you ready to go? We have the transport all ready to take us to Terra Nova for your leave."

"Oh? We're going to Terra Nova? I haven't been there in a long time. Where are we gonna be staying?" Kitrina's excited began to show once more.

Lieutenant Wolff's smile spread even farther along her face, "Well, to tell you the truth, your father and I have a surprise for you when we get there, so I can't stay right now."

Kitrina raised an eyebrow at her mother's attempt at subtlety, "Ok. I need to go get my gear from the squad bay and pick up my orders. It should only take a few minutes." she said, turning towards the squad bay to see that Hew was already heading in that direction.

Kitrina started after him and picked up her pace to catch up, "Hey Hew! Wait up!" she called out to him.

Hew glanced over his shoulder to see Kitrina jogging over to him, so he slowed down to give her a second. When she came along side of him, they settled into a comfortable silence as they walked to the squad bay. As they entered, they both turned to head to the Duty Hut, pounding the pine, just like always, to alert the Senior Drill Instructor of their arrival.

"Enter."

Hew and Kitrina entered the Duty hut and saw an interesting sight. The Gunnery Sergeant was wearing civvies. As if that wasn't enough, the man actually looked relaxed and content which was something that they had never seen in the man before. Of course, there was no reason that they would have ever seen that, he always seemed so tightly wound. As Ellison glanced up to see the two before him a smile actually crossed his face that wrinkled his skin around his eyes.

"Well don't you two look good together," he smirked, "I have your orders right here." he said, reaching into his desk to retrieve two datapads from the drawer and handing one to Hew, and the other to Kitrina before he went back to packing his gear.

Hew glanced at the data pad and noticed the screen was locked, the only thing being that of a rotating Alliance Insignia, "Um...Why can't I access anything on the datapad?" he asked, arcing an eyebrow.

"It's time locked. It'll only open when you arrive at Arcturus Station at the designated time." Ellison answered without looking up from what he was doing.

"Oh...I guess that makes sense," Hew mumbled, "Anyways, I wanted to say before I go that it was an honor to be under your command Gunnery Sergeant."

Ellison paused what he was doing to just look at Hew before sending them both a nod and a smile. He quickly shook both their hands and dismissed them, watching as they pair left the office. _That man is going to cause some serious waves. I better get a wet suit. _He chuckled.

As Hew and Kitrina went to pack their gear, Kitrina finally broke the silence, "So, what are your plans for leave?" she innocently asked as she gathered her things.

Hew shrugged, "I have none. I figured I'd head straight to Arcturus Station. You know, get settled in before training and such." he said, finishing with his gear far before Kitrina, due to him having half as much of it.

"Really? That sounds dull." Kitrina smirked.

"Well, I really don't have anywhere else to go." Hew rolled his eyes, not really irritated with her, but at the reminder of lame that must have sounded. _Fuck...I sound retarded. _

Kitrina caught sight of Hew's eye roll and immediately picked up on the irritation, "Damn...Hew I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by that." she sighed, her features softening. _Good going moron. Way to make him want to be around you._

Hew's smile returned to his lips, "It's no problem Kitrina. I understand," he said, seeing the amount that she had to carry was quite a lot, "Here, let me help you get your stuff out to your parents' transport." he offered as he made to pick one of her garment bags.

"I would appreciate that. Thanks Hew."

After they both were all packed up, Hew grabbed Kitrina's c-bag and one of her garment bags before they started to head out to the parking lot and landing strip. Kitrina lead the way to her parents transport so Hew wouldn't be wondering aimlessly around as he was carrying most of her gear and that's the last thing she wanted for him. Finding her parents was simpler then she hoped, arriving at the transport where Hew started to load her gear for her which for some reason, gave her an idea.

"Um...mom, dad? Can I ask you something real quick?" she asked, putting on her sweetest face for her parents.

Both of her parents exchanged a glance, knowing full well what that look was leading to before Hannah responded.

"You know you can ask us anything honey. What is it?"

Kitrina fidgeted a bit as she felt like she was melting underneath the heat of a nearby sun. _Why am I so nervous about this? Am I worrying about their answer or something else? _She thought as she gathered up the nerve to ask.

"Um...I was wondering if it would be ok for Hew to come with us? You know...because he really doesn't have anywhere else to go. He was just gonna go to Arcturus Station and wait for training and stuff. Can he please come?" Kitrina couldn't keep the hope from her voice, clasping her hands together in front of her chest as she poured on her sweet daughter charm.

Darien looked at Hannah to have one of those silent conversations that only a married couple could have. Kitrina couldn't get anything from the look in their eyes, but two different emotions began to run wild. The dread that they would say no spiked at that same time that the hope that they would say yes did. Her hope started to fade when the look on her father's face changed to a look of surprise.

"Wait a second. You said he was just going to go straight to Arcturus Station and wait for training? What kind of training?" Captain Wolff asked, his brows slightly furrowing.

"Um...N training," she winced, "I'm going too. We kinda both got selected to attend out of boot camp and after boot leave." again, she winced.

Darien's eyes went wide the second she mentioned N training. _My daughter got selected for N training? _He thought as his gaze shifted to the young man loading his daughter's gear into the transport. _Him as well? _He looked back to Kitrina before glancing at Hannah, who had a grin as wide as a canyon on her face. _Oh dear God...She thinks this is cute. _Again, back to Kitrina _And she really wants him to come along...Damn...I'm such a push over. _He groaned.

"I see no problem with him coming if your mother has no issue..." he tried to finish but he never got the chance due to his wife's enthusiasm.

"I have no problem dear. I think it'll be just fine." Hannah beamed.

Darien could only run his hand down his face, "Alright...Go tell your friend that he can come if he wants to." the last part of his sentence was said to the back of his daughter's head as she jogged over to the other side of their transport.

Hew was just finishing loading all of Kitrina's gear into the transport's storage area when he heard someone coming around the curve of the ship. Looking up, he noticed it was Kitrina and she had the biggest smile across her face.

"What's up Kitrina? You all set to go?" he asked as he finished up and closed the transport's hatch.

"Very much so." she beamed, somewhat bouncing up and down on her toes.

"I bet your happy to get out of here, or did your face finally get stuck like that?" Hew quipped with a light laugh.

Kitrina's smile seemed to get even bigger as she started to bounce back and forth in excitement.

"I'm even more excited because I got some good news for you."

"Oh really? Are you going to Titan again?" Hew joked, unable to keep from smiling at Kitrina's small giggle with a nose wrinkle. _Oh my God...That was fucking cute._

"No...Nothing like that," she started to blush, "Um...I asked my parents if it would be ok..." her voice trailed off.

Hew's full attention was now on Kitrina as her excitement quickly turned into nervousness, evident as the blush started to creep up her neck.

"Um...Kitrina? Is everything ok?" he asked, his stomach doing a flip as his own nervousness grew.

"?" Kitrina rattled off as quickly as possible, somehow making it all one word.

Hew raised his eyebrow as he completely missed what Kitrina had asked, not sure if had something to do with him, or her, or even...Hell he didn't know.

"Um...What?"

Taking a deep breath Kitrina tried again, "Do you want to come to Terra Nova with me and my family?" she finally said slow enough for Hew to understand what came out.

The request came from so far out of no where that Hew was stunned. _I couldn't have heard her right_..._Could I? _"W-What?" he stuttered

"Do you want to come to Terra Nova with my family and me?" the nervousness in her voice was undeniable, but he, indeed, heard her right

Hew couldn't believe it his ears. Kitrina, the young woman whom not only taught him to read and was still doing so, then followed it up with becoming his one, true friend, was inviting him to Terra Nova with her family. He had no idea what to say, as he had never been around a family before. Sure, he did want to spend time with Kitrina, but he was actually nervous about being around her parents. _Don't fuck this up Hew! She's one of the best things in your life right now! DON'T! FUCK! THIS! UP!_

"Are your parents ok with this?" he asked, not wanting to just say yes and get his hopes up.

"Yes they are. Otherwise I wouldn't be asking you." her soft smile returned to her face, helping to ease his nerves just a little bit.

"Well, if they're ok with it then...Yes. I would like to come with you to Terra Nova Kitrina."

The sound Kitrina made could have shattered glass and it took a little while for Hew's hearing to return to normal. It took less time for them to get Hew's gear stowed in the transport, because he had less and in two hours, the transport was airborne and leaving the Recruit Depot. Hew watched out of the nice sized window as MCRD Mars fell away until the darkness of space enveloped the small craft. As Hew settled into his seat, he could feel the excitement rolling off of Kitrina as she was barely able to stay in her seat, but what caught him slightly off guard was that her hand always stayed on top his. Kitrina's hand on Hew's was not missed by both Hannah, whom was smiling and Darien, whom maintained a perfect poker face. This didn't go unnoticed by Hew, whom only had one thought cross his mind. _This is going to be a long trip._

****(")(")(")*****

(Please review. Though not needed for a new chapter, it does make me fell better.)


	7. Chapter 7: … You Should try Spending

…... You Should try Spending Time with her Parents.

(Disclaimer: I own nothing in the ME universe. I sure wish I did thou)

(A/N: So yeah, this chapter took a long time for me to figure out I kept wanting to end it but could not find a good spot so you all get one of the longest things I have ever typed. hope you all enjoy this as much as I have typing it. Oh and a big thanks gose out to my beta for figuring out what I was trying to say, and for making this a story and not an after action report.)

_****_(")( " )(")****

Hannah Wolff was woken up by the light turbulence of the transport as it entered atmo, the gentle shaking not even touching her nerves, but when she opened her eyes, what she saw brought a smile to her face.

"Darien... Darien! Wake up! You need to see this!" she said in a harsh whisper.

Darien was out cold. He found it weird that the only place he could sleep well was in space, or on a space faring vessel. To him, solid ground didn't 'move' right and he always missed the dull thrum of drive cores whenever he and his wife took shore leave, hence why they rarely took any.

His dreams were interrupted by the insistent calling of his wife, one of three things that actually could wake him up and it sounded urgent. As his conciseness slowly reasserted itself, he became aware of three things. One; There was light coming through the window. Two; The fact that his wife was awake was an indicator that they had broken atmo and three; His wife was whispering for some reason.

Before he could ask why she was whispering however, she placed a hand over his mouth, effectively silencing him from making any noise other then grunts and pointed ecclesiastically at the seats across from them. When he looked, his eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat, causing him to elicit a rather unmanly squeak out from under Hannah's hand.

There, in front of him, was Kitrina, laying across the bench seat with her head resting on Shepard's left thigh. If that wasn't enough, the young man had taken his jacket off and placed it over Kitrina to keep her warm while she slept, as well as placed his left hand on her shoulder, almost like he was comforting her and both had subtle smiles across their lips.

Darien was amazed. He had to wonder how close those two had really gotten during boot camp. Upon closer examination, Darien thought that Shepard looked far more relaxed, as was evident by the slumped shoulders and the content look as he slept, then he had looked back on Mars. _Could they be a source of comfort for each other? No way. They haven't known each other long enough._ After seeing all this, he could understand his wife's behavior. _All well. It's time to wake them up any way. _He thought as he reached across the compartment to shake Shepard and Kitrina awake, but as he reached forward, his wrist was caught in the iron grasp of Shepard who was looking at him through half open eyes. After a couple of tense seconds, Shepard's grip loosened then all together released his arm. _What the Hell was that?_

****(")( " )(")****

Hew was having the best dreams of his life. There was no violence, blood, or darkness, just a peaceful nothing. Pure contentment. It was actually restful, but that was all dashed when his finely honed 'danger scene' placed him on high alert. Not knowing what was going to happen and still running on instinct, he lashed out at the unknown threat. As he quickly awoke, he realized that he had Kitrina's father's wrist in a secure grip. As reality dawned on him, he quickly released his wrist and moved his other hand back to Kitrina's shoulder where it felt the happiest. _Wait... When did I move my arm?_

Kitrina was very comfortable, but the pillow under her head was a little too firm then what she would have preferred. She could care less at the moment though. She felt safe, warm and protected and to her, that's all that mattered. This was brought to an abrupt end as she suddenly felt a tightness across her chest and a scene of panic seized her, but as quickly as it had arrived, it passed. However, it was enough to wake her from her sleep. What she was greeted by, was her father looking at Hew with what could only be confusion and a little bit of fear mixed under the rising anger.

"Um... Did I miss something guys?" she asked with a quick rub to her eye.

Both men responded at the same time, "No."

If that didn't raise flags, nothing would. A quick glance at her mother provided little else to answer her question with, which was a surprise, as her mother was usually much more expressive then just sitting, staring in wonder at to what just happened. That probably said more then enough if she had actually thought about it, but thanks to the situation, the rest of the transport ride was spent in silence.

Once the transport had arrived at its assigned hub, personal items were retrieved and placed into a land based vehicle that was already waiting for them near where they had landed. After the group had climbed in, Darien took the controls, angling the craft away from the city proper and towards the countryside, away from the noisy hustle and bustle that Hew knew all too well. He had never seen so much green. The trees, the grass, it all forced him to have his face glued to the window.

"This is amazing! All this open land... It's so green and alive. I've never seen so much open space before." Hew breathed, his breath leaving a thick fog on the glass.

Kitrina couldn't help but lightly chuckle, seeing Hew acting like a small child. All his years and experiences seemed to melt away to the child he had never been, allowing it to come to light. It was refreshing to see that even someone with Hew's background could still have some level of naivety about some things, even simple things like seeing the color green sprawled out over long distances.

"What's so funny?" Hew asked as he saw Kitrina's reflection, seeing that she was lightly snickering to herself.

"What? Oh... nothing. Just a stray thought is all." she giggled with a sweet smile on her lips.

"Oh." was all Hew said with a light shrug. "Anyways, do you know where we're going?" he asked after a brief pause.

"Actually, no. I used to come here with my parents, but we would usually rent a hotel room or an apartment while we were here. Those are all back in the city though. The only thing out this far are houses and farms and stuff." Kitrina lightly shrugged.

"Maybe they bought a house or some thing." Hew returned the shrug.

In the front seat of the transport, both Darien and Hannah shared a quick glance. This went unnoticed by the two in the back seat.

Kitrina started to chuckle again, "Ha... That would be funny. The only reason they would do that is if they were planning on retiring. I doubt that though, especially since daddy always said he wouldn't retire until he made Admiral. Mom is the same way. I think she wants to make Captain though before she retires." she said through her light laughter.

After several hours in the transport, they eventually turned down a long gravel drive that lead to a property, bordered by an old wooden fence. The house was a modest two story with a lot of windows and skylights to allow as much of the outside light in as possible. It peacefully sat atop a small hill, giving anyone inside a spectacular view of the countryside with all the trees and colors that phased into each other like those of a painting. He couldn't help but admit that the house was beautiful, as well as very expensive. He could tell that due to the fact that it was built out of wood... real wood.

Once Mr. Wolff had brought the transport to a halt, Hew busied himself by off loading the cargo area to give Kitrina and her family some time alone to admire the house.

Kitrina was a bit confused. Her family didn't know anyone with a house on Terra Nova so she was wondering how her parents were able to acquire such a breathtaking home.

"Ok... I have to ask. Where did this place come from? None of your friends have a house here. I know that much. How did you get it?" Kitrina asked, still puzzled as to why they were here.

The elder Wolff's shared a glance before Hannah answered, "Well... that's part of the surprise honey. The house... well... it's ours." she mildly winced as she awaiting her daughter's reaction.

Kitrina was speechless. She couldn't speak even she had wanted to because her breath was caught hard in her throat and her brain was reeling with more thoughts then she could fathom. Her parents had just bought a house.

"I thought... But which one? Huh?" Kitrina stuttered, her eyes bouncing from the house, to her parents and back again.

Hannah couldn't help but chuckle, but was finally able to answer her daughter's half asked questions after she had taken a few, long breathes to help steady herself, "Calm down Kit. Neither one of us are retiring just yet. Your father heard about some property on Terra Nova and after some research, talked me into it. We both decided that the deal was too good to pass ups so we bought the property for when we do retire," she explained with a smile. "Plus, it's nice to have a place to call home that doesn't change every eighteen months. We've even got to design the house. Your father had some creative ideas on what he wanted. Wait till you see the inside." Hannah was just about bouncing with excitement.

Kitrina could not believe what she was hearing. A house... no... a home. This was all far too much for her to take and she was quickly giving way to her emotion when her thoughts were interrupted.

"Um... Where is all this going? I don't want to leave it all out here in the rain." Hew asked kindly and as militarily as possible.

_Rain? What rain? _Kitrina thought just as a crack of thunder rolled across the plains. She couldn't help but look at him and the smile on his face was one of good humor with a little bit of smugness. _Looks good on him. _She thought as she realized her father was guiding Hew into the house.

If Hew thought the outside was impressive, it was easily outdone by the inside. He was mostly impressed by how open it was; the furniture was placed so the person sitting would be able to enjoy the view out of the panoramic windows, as well as enjoy whatever was going on inside. The furniture was geared more towards comfort then style, all soft leathers and overstuffed so that whomever was sitting in them would sink into a big, puffy cloud. _They have great taste and this is only the living room. _He before he was interrupted by a deep cough.

"If you'll follow me... This way please." Captain Wolff said politely.

"Yes Sir." Hew said with little emotion.

Captain Wolff guided Hew down a hallway on the first floor to a guest room at the end of the hall, "Hope you like it. We really weren't expecting any guests so we'll have to get you some clean linens. I'm pretty sure you know how to make a bed right?"

At first, Hew was surprised by the Captain, but a quick glance revealed a small smile on the Officer's face.

"Yes Sir. I think I can manage, but the gear I'm caring belongs to Kitrina." he kindly nodded and shrugged his shoulder that held the large duffel.

Captain Wolff regarded Shepard for a moment before leading him up the stairs to the second level of the house. Upon reaching the second story, Hew was surprised at how open the floor plane was. There seemed to be several doors leading to different rooms and he watched as Captain Wolff went to a closed door not far from the stairs. Before Hew could enter the room however, there was a blur of blue, auburn and tan that shot by, entered the room and quickly closed the door, leaving both Hew and Captain Wolff staring at the dark wood of the door. In nearly the same split second, the door opened, bags were retrieved from Hew's shoulder and then closed again with a hard slam.

Hew just blinked a couple times, "Um... What just happened?"

Captain Wolff was just as dazed and decided, his answer was best delivered in a shrug.

****(")( " )(")****

Kitrina was shocked by the fact that her parents had bought a house, but Her attention was quickly brought back to the present when her mother was going on about how they had set up her room.

"What do you mean 'set my room up'?" Kitrina asked with a pair of air quotes.

"Oh, you know... Put up all your posters and drawings and such. We also put up all your school holos. You look so cute in your braces." Hannah beamed with a smile that only a mother could.

Kitrina just looked at her mother, "Mom, you can be so weird sometimes. Where did Hew and dad go by the way?" she asked once she realized that they weren't there.

"Oh uh, I think he and Shepard went inside with some of the luggage. Why?"

"Oh, no reason. Let's just grab our stuff and get settled in." she said as she headed for the transport.

Upon getting to the back of the transport with her mother, Kitrina noticed that the only gear left was Hews, "Uh...mom? How long ago did dad and Hew go inside?" her stomach started to churn into a tight knot.

"I don't know... maybe three or five minutes ago. Why?" unfortunately, that last part was asked to the back of her daughter's head because she had disappeared into the house.

Kitrina was moving to fast to notice anything about the house as she ran through the front door, bounded up the stairs and barreled into the room that her father and Hew were standing in front of. Using everything she learned in boot, she quickly shot through the door and slammed it closed before they could go inside and see anything. Upon taking a breath, she looked around the room for the first time and she couldn't believe what she saw. The room was painted cherry pink with a princess look that she had grown out of when she was five. A four posted, canopy bead, in pink and white dominated the room and its pink canopy draped elegantly along its real wood bed posts. The bed had matching dressers and night stands, all made of real wood and stained a dark mahogany that went unnoticed by the ridiculous pink of the walls. _Dear God! I can't believe my parents did this! I can't let Hew see this!_ After the initial shock had lessened, she quickly opened the door, grabbed her bags that Hew was holding and slammed the door in his face.

****(")( " )(")****

"Well, that was weird. Does she do that often sir?" Hew asked with one eyebrow arced.

Captain Wolff couldn't help but smirk at his daughter's behavior, as it reminded him of when she was younger and those were days that he missed. However, the smirk disappeared when he remembered that she only did this when she had something to hide or was embarrassed.

"Yeah, she did, but only when she was younger." he eventually said, still staring at the door.

Before Hew could respond, a muffled voice from behind the door fluttered up to meet his ears.

"Could someone get mom up here for me please?"

Captain Wolff couldn't hide the confusion from his voice, "Is everything ok Kit? Is there a problem?" he asked, leaning forward slightly towards the door so he could hear better.

"No problems dad. Just realizing mom still thinks I'm a little girl." the muffled voice said.

Comprehension dawned on the Captain as he remembered the conversation he and his wife had had when setting up the rooms. Their daughter's room in particular and all he could do was sigh and hang his head.

"Ok... I'll get your mother. Hold on."

Hew was getting more and more confused by the minute. He had no idea what the Hell was going on, but before he could even ask, the Captain clasped him on the shoulder and guided him back downstairs so the Captain could get his wife. Several seconds passed until Hew heard laughing, as the Lieutenant headed up the stairs to deal with her daughter still held up in her room. Still confused, Hew and the Captain helped each other to bring in the rest of the luggage and get linens for the bed in the guest room.

"Lunch will be ready in about three hours. Go ahead and get into something a little more comfortable." Mr. Wolff said with a curt nod.

Hew simply nodded as he took the linens and went to make his bed. _Jesus... A real bed... and linens. They're soft too. _Even though the linen was plain, it was well made, clean and he was sure it wasn't cheap either, like many of the linens he had stolen from cheap motels and places he could break into. After the bed was made, he started to unpack what little he actually had. He hung his military uniforms to realize that the only non-military clothing he had were the civvies that he had reported to boot camp in. He quickly changed to find that those very clothes all fit infinitely better, the pants were a little tighter, but the shirt and jacket actually fit right across his broad shoulders. Looking in a mirror in the attached bathroom, he quickly shaved and finally took a look at what he looked like now.

Gone were the bags under his eyes, the naught look to his face, his slouch was no longer apparent as he held himself upright with his shoulders rolled back. The man in the mirror was an entirely different person then the one he remembered and to tell you the truth, he couldn't be more happy. _This is truly the first day of the rest of my life isn't it. _The smile that spread across his face was the first one in a long time that was one of actual happiness and joy, instead of a forced one that he had grown far too accustomed to. This, he liked far better.

****(")( " )(")****

Kitrina was pissed. She couldn't believe what her mother had done. The pink, the posters from years ago, the princess motif that made the place look like a makeshift castle that she had no desire to let Hew see. It all made her cringe. She was still seething when she heard a light knock on the door.

"Kit... Honey... It's mommy. Your father said you needed to talk to me?" the disembodied voice of Kitrina's mother said through the door.

Kitrina quickly opened the door and pulled her mother in by the arm before she could even react. _Ugh... She still calls herself mommy, _"Can you please tell me what was going through your head when you put my room together?" Kitrina all but hissed at her mother.

Hannah was a bit taken back by her daughter's reaction, "What do you mean? I thought you liked pink." she said, taking a quick glance around the room before looking back at her daughter.

Kitrina could only pinch the bridge of her nose and sigh, "Yes mother, I _liked_ pink... when I was five! What's with all the princess stuff? I never liked princess stuff! Where did all this come from?" she growled in a harsh whisper.

"What do you mean? You've always been our little princess and there was that one Halloween where you dressed up as one." Hannah said, her smile fading as Kitrina's anger began to seem more real.

"That's because dad was King Arthur and you were Guinevere. We only did that whole group dress up thing till I was five." Kitrina said, trying hard not to just break down and cry.

"So... you don't like your room? I worked so hard on it." Hannah said, her smile completely gone as her eyes started to glaze over with a glassy sheen.

Kitrina immediately began to feel bad once she noticed the building tears in her mother's eyes, "I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but no. The room is for me when I was five. I'm a grown woman now mom." she said in a far sweeter voice.

The tears started to crawl free of Hannah's eyes, "Oh Kit... I'm so sorry. It's just we never had this for you when you were growing up. I just wanted to give you something we couldn't give you before." her voice crackled and her breath hiccuped in her throat as she spoke.

Kitrina wrapped her arms around her mother in a comforting embrace as she began to cry, "Mom... I'm sorry, but I've grown up. I'm a big girl now."

Hannah couldn't help but softly weep as she blatantly realized that her little girl had grown up and there was nothing she could do about it, "I'm ok Kit. It's just, we've missed so much of your life and we wanted to make it up to you, but it's nice having you like this. You are so grown up and sure of yourself now. You made the right choice... going to boot camp. It did you a world of good." she sniffled and whipped her eyes.

Kitrina felt the tears track down her cheeks as she held her mother in a tight hug, "I'll always be your little girl mom, but you have to let me grow up sometime." she lightly smiled, hoping it would reassure her mother.

"I know Kit. I know. It's just you never had a proper childhood. You had no roots and I'm sorry for that." Hannah said as she pulled away from her daughter's embrace.

"Don't worry mom. The life I had prepared me for the future. If not for that life, I wouldn't have met Hew and found someone who accepts me and my Biotics." Kitrina said, her light smile still resting across her lips

Hanna finally returned her daughter's smile, "What? He knows? He's not bothered by them?" her brows lightly furrowed.

Kitrina then realized what she had said, but was happy that her mother focused on the latter part of her statement, "Y-Yes. He even made sure I had enough to eat during training. There were some issues with the platoon, but Hew fixed the problems and then kept me safe."

"The sounds nice... wait... he kept you safe? Why would he need to do that?" Hannah asked, puzzled.

"Oh um... well... he... uh... He made sure the other squad members, who had problems with Biotics, kept a wide birth." Kitrina stuttered, trying to find the right words that wouldn't suggest anything else to her mother.

"Oh... That makes sense. Your father and I need to apologize for that by the way." Hannah lightly cringed.

This caused confusion on Kitrina's part, "What? Why would you and dad need to apologize?"

Hannah visibly stiffened as her nerves rose, "Um... you see... Both your father and I had Ellison as an instructor in OCS, so when we heard he was training recruits on M.C.R.D. Mars, we had to make sure you got him as a Drill Instructor. He's the best and we wanted you to have the best. It was either that, or send you to BAaT training, but we've heard rumors and decided it was a bit unsafe. That's why we hired a former Asari Commando, and friend, to train you while you were growing up. All we wanted was for you to be safe." she explained, ringing her fingers together and unable to look her daughter in the eyes.

"Mom, you and dad don't have to worry. There were only two issues and I met Hew before they were an issue so everything turned out fine." Kitrina reassured.

Hannah was about to respond when she realized something, "You keep mentioning the fact that you met Hew there and you keep using his first name. Just how close have the two of you gotten?" she asked, noticing the deep wince that crossed Kitrina's face.

Before Kitrina even had to answer, her father poked his head in and announced that lunch would be in two and a half hours and everyone should get ready. She noticed that her father was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a button up shirt which meant only one thing.

"Are we having barbeque?" Kitrina asked, her nervous mood instantly perking up with the thought.

Darien smiled, "Yep. Steaks and burgers."

"How are you going to do that in the rain?" Kitrina asked, glancing out the window to see that the weather had quickly changed and threatened to do as such.

Darien's smile grew even wider, "The barbeque pit is under the overhang so it's out of the rain. When you both get ready, meet me and Shepard out on the back porch. You know, he's real helpful. He actually got the grill going. I think we should keep him around. What do you think Hannah?" he grinned, rather enjoying the quickly growing and beaming smile that was crossing his daughter's face.

Kitrina looked at her mother with said huge smile still diligently holding its post before she looked back to her father, "We'll get ready dad. See you in a few." she managed to say without jumping up and down, as that would defeat the purpose of defending that she was all grown up.

Darien nodded once and left the women to there own devices, manly Kitrina glancing at her mother who was leaving with a smile on her face. _Oh that can't be good._ Kitrina thought as the door closed behind Hannah, leaving her alone to get changed.

Once the door was secured, Kitrina walked over to her closet and opened it with some fear, as to what was inside if the room was anything to go by, but much to her surprise, it had all her clothes from before she shipped off to boot. It was mostly jeans with a splattering of shirts and blouses that range in colors from red, to a deep purple and varied in style so she at least one thing for every occasion.

Sighing with relief that her closet had remained normal, she grabbed a pair of stonewashed hip hugger jeans, a white button up shirt and a pair of broken in low tops in black. Once back in her comfort clothes, she pulled on a light jacket to combat the gentle wind that had kicked up outside and took one last look in the mirror which she couldn't help but study. Though always in shape, she never had definition, but now she did. She noticed musculature that was always subtle, but that was now much more pronounced. Her abdomen was the biggest change, as it now had soft lines that could be seen when the light hit it just right. _I...have a six pack... and you can see it, well, not a pronounced one, but you can kinda see it. _She was tempted to change into a shirt which would display her new found form, but thought better of it since her father was downstairs.

After logging away the slight changes to her arms, as well as her legs, she headed outside to the patio where the rest of her family and best friend resided. However, what she saw was something that she never thought she would see. Her father was working a large grill that must have been six to seven feet wide, her mother was in a pair of white slacks with a matching blouse and a pair of sandals and Hew was helping her father by not only getting him the required cooking utensil, but getting him more burgers and steaks and was keeping the area clear of clutter. _He fits in so well. _She thought with a soft smile.

Hew was at a loss. He was helping Kitrina's father cook lunch and it felt right. He didn't know why, but it just felt right. He had never been in a family dynamic before and being in Kitrina's was turning out to be an experience that he thought he would never have. What surprised him the most was that he wanted it. He felt the security that the three radiated and just by looking at them, he could tell that her father and her mother would do anything to keep Kitrina safe. The odd thing was however, was that he felt he would do the same thing. _Is this what having a friend is like? Is this what I've been missing all my life? _He thought as he took a quick look out at the landscape.

"Last steak coming up Shepard. I need a plate." Mr. Wolff said without even looking up from the grill.

"Right away Sir." Hew said as he reached for a plate and handed it over.

While the Captain finished up on the grill, Hew busied himself with a quick cleanup of the cooking space. This did not go unnoticed by Kitrina's father. As Hew finished up on the grill, he caught sight of Kitrina out of the corner of his eye and it damn near made him drop the plate he was holding. To say she was a sight would be an understatement. Sure, he lived with her for five months, but military clothing and utility uniforms were not as form fitting as what she was wearing now and the light jacket did nothing to hide her form. _Has she always looked like that? How the Hell have I not noticed that? _He thought has he forced himself to breath.

As everyone took their seats, Hew helped Kitrina's father serve lunch to the girls, completely astonished at the sheer size of the meal that consisted of steak, burgers, hotdogs, baked potatoes and all the fixings. He had never seen so much food in one place before and there was no one to stop him from consuming it.

"It seams someone wanted to play with his new grill. This is a lot of food honey." Hannah grinned as she stared at her husband, trying not to giggle.

"Well, you do know what the best part of barbequing is dear... The leftovers," he returned the grin. "Plus, I did wanna play with my new grill." Darien chuckled.

Hannah could only shake her head at her husband's antics, as the man had cooked enough food for a whole family of Biotics and they only had to feed one and her friend who looked as if he could pack away just as much.

Hew fell back into old habits and watched the family from the outside. He observed the interaction between Kitrina's parents, which was something he had never experienced before. It was weird, to say the least. Kitrina's mother seemed to criticize her husband, but in his response, he admitted and agreed with her and nothing was actually done. It was the little things like that that confused him. As he mulled it over, he turned his attention to Kitrina, who was sitting right next to him and he noticed that she had loaded her plate like she should.

"It's about time you ate right." Hew said with a soft grin.

Kitrina immediately turned her attention the source of the voice beside her, "Huh...what?" she asked, not sure if she heard him right since she was more paying attention to her parents.

"I said I'm glade you're finally eating right." Hew repeated, still with the soft grin.

Kitrina's brows lightly furrowed as she looked from Hew, to her plate when what he said actually clicked in her brain, "I'm home and with family so yeah, I can eat normally. Well... normally for me at least." she smiled.

Hew could only chuckle as he took a smaller steak off the serving tray and placed it on his plate. However, before he could go for a potato, he was blocked.

"I don't think so Mr. Shepard." Darien said flatly and with a dead stare at Hew.

Confused, Hew just stared at Kitrina's father, but before he could respond, Mr. Wolff took the small steak off of Hew's plate and replaced it with one of the larger ones that made his eyes widen just a bit.

"Now that's a steak. The little ones we save to make sandwiches with, or whatever Hannah wants to put them in." Darien shrugged and sent his wife a quick glance.

"Thank you Sir. I appreciate it." Hew nodded, still trying to somewhat relax since he was well out of his comfort zone.

"Ok... Shepard... Neither of us are in uniform so please, call me Mr. Wolff." he said, softening his expression to help Hew try and relax.

"Yes Si... er... Mr. Wolff." Hew quietly blew out his nervous breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"Well, with that out of the way, let's eat," Mr. Wolff said, clapping and rubbing his hands together as he sat down next to his wife. "By the way Mr. Shepard, thank you for your help with lunch." he added.

"No problem Mr. Wolff. It was the least I could. After all, you're letting me intrude on your family vacation time." Hew's light gulp went unnoticed by everyone else.

"Don't think of it like that young man. Kit invited you. You don't need to feel like you owe us anything Hew. Isn't that right Darien?" Hannah said sweetly and as reassuringly as possible as she glanced at Darien.

"of course Hannah. He's our guest." Darien nodded.

Hew was still trying to comprehend the family dynamic that was going on around him as they fell into a content silence while they began to eat their meal. _How does this insanity make a family? _Hewthought until his inner ramblings were interrupted by a soft touch on his hand. He looked down to see Kitrina's hand resting on his and when he glanced up, he saw the smile on her face and it instantly helped to ease his mind and body so that he could finally begin to digest everything that was happening all at once.

The rest of lunch was filled with quite conversation and humorous family stories which Hew figured were for his benefit more then theirs. He noticed that subtle blushes that painted Kitrina's cheeks and the uniform laughter that emanated from Mr. and Mrs. Wolff was infectious. When lunch was finished, he helped with the clean up and did the dishes which was a welcomed surprise by the elder Wolff's.

"Hey Hew? You wanna go check out the property?" Kitrina asked once everything was done.

Hew glanced around the kitchen to insure that his services were no longer required, "I think I would enjoy that. Thank you Kitrina," he smiled before he turned to look at Mr. Wolff. "Mr. Wolff, thank you for lunch and thank you for the stories Mrs. Wolff." he added.

"Your more then welcome young man and you can call me Hannah when not in uniform. Mrs. Wolff just makes me feel old." she lightly laughed.

Hew nodded, "What time do you want us back by?" he asked, noticing that Kitrina was getting antsy to go exploring.

"Dinner will be at six so five thirty at the latest." Hannah smiled sweetly.

"Understood. Thank you again for your hospitality." Hew said with yet another nod.

As Hew and Kitrina left, Darien and Hannah couldn't help but notice as Hew draped his arm over Kitrina's shoulders as they walked down the path, away from the house.

"Isn't that cute hun?" Hannah beamed as she watch the kids head out on their walk.

Darien watched as only a father could, "I'm happy she found someone, but I'm not sure if he's the right one."

Once the kids had vanished from sight, Darien went to his study. The study itself wasn't all that much to talk about, but its walls of classic, paper books, datapads and its simple, real wood desk with a computer terminal built into it was enough for Darien's purposes. He sat down in the large, comfortable office chair, powered his terminal and got an old friend on the phone.

_"Captain Scott... Alliance Intelligence. What can I do for you?" _A man on the other end of the vid call said politely and officially without even looking up from his desk to see who had call.

"Hey Will. I can't believe you still think the Alliance has intelligence." Darien snickered as he leaded back in his chair and looked at the holoscreen.

The Alliance Captain looked up as recognition and surprise adorned his face, _"Holy shit... Darien Wolff. What the Hell have you been up to?"_ Captain Scott grinned as he immediately halted his work and looked at his screen.

"Not a whole lot. I see they finally got you to fly a desk. How you liking your new job in AI?" Darien asked while he rested his ankle on his knee.

_"Hey, no one shoots at me at my desk, but you didn't call to ask if I liked working here. What's up?" _Captain Scott quickly got down to business.

Darien laughed, "You know me to well Will. I need to cash in one of my favors. Is that going to be a problem?"

_"Depends on the favor really." _Captain Scott shrugged.

"I need you to do a background check for me on a one, Shepard, Hewbert Arthur. Can you do it?" Darien asked, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his desk and clasped his hands together.

_"I'll run the name and see if anything comes up, but I gotta ask...why this person?" _

"I think my daughter has a crush on him." Darien deadpanned.

Will looked at his old friend and realized that he wasn't kidding, _"Little Kitrina? You can't be serious. She's what...nine? Ten at the most?" _Captain Scott arced an eyebrow.

"She turned seventeen eight months ago and enlisted in the Alliance Marines Will. She met Shepard in boot camp and apparently hit it off. If you can add any and all info connected to that name, I would really appreciate it." Darien said, running his hand down his face.

_"Jesus Christ... Alright Darien, no problem. Oh, by the way, this wont cost you a favor. Kitrina is my goddaughter after all." _Captain Scott smiled.

"Thanks Will. Like I said... I really appreciate it." Darien tried not to laugh out loud.

_"No problem. How's Hannah dealing with all this?"_

"Hell... You know her Will. She thinks it's cute." Darien groaned.

Will couldn't stop laughing, _"That sounds like her alright. She did introduce me to my wife after all."_

"Ugh...Don't remind me. She's in full matchmaker mode right now. I really don't want my seventeen year old daughter getting married." Darien growled, hanging his head.

_"Ok ok... geez. Don't bite my head off. Anyways, take care old friend. I should have that to you by tomorrow, in a couple of days max." _Captain Scott said as his hand moved to prepare to end the call.

"Thanks Will. Take care yourself."

As Darien finished his call, he looked up to see Hannah standing in the door and he couldn't help but wonder how long she had been standing there.

"Who was that? Not many people know we're here and even less know the number." Hannah said blandly as she leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms.

"Just an old friend that wanted to talk. My adjutant passed his call to me." Darien said with a deep intake of breath.

"Is everything ok? Do we need to head back?" Hannah asked, still not showing much emotion.

"No. There's no problem Hannah. Just wanted to catch up. Everything is fine," he exhaled heavily. "So... What do you wanna do while the kids are away?" he asked, very much wanting to change the subject.

Hannah looked at her husband with a crooked eyebrow, "Oh... I can think of several things that can kill five and a half hours." she started to grin.

"Is that right? Well... I have an idea and it involves breaking in that new king sized bed of ours." Darien's devious smirk said exactly what he was thinking.

Hannah started to giggled, "You horny old man. You'll have to catch me first."

That last part of Hannah's reply was reduced to just an echo from down the hallway as Darien chased his wife up the stairs and both disappeared into the master bedroom.

****(")( " )(")****

As Hew and Kitrina walked around the property, he couldn't help but feel at peace. _This is so weird. There's no gunshots, no sirens, or cries of pain... There's nothing. It's so quiet here. _He thought witha quick glance over to Kitrina to see a smile and a look of pure contentment. _Is this what she wants? Can I even give this to her? I barely know how to act around her parents. _He thought until he ripped from his musing by a soft voice..

"So... How do you like it here?" Kitrina asked, still with a smile as they slowly walked.

Hew stayed silent for a brief moment as he gathered his thoughts, "It's peaceful. I'm really enjoying my time here... a lot. It took me some time to get used to, but I'm getting there and... it's relaxing."

"That's good to hear. I was hoping you were... Look! A Pond!" her train of thought shifted so fast, that Hew had a bit of difficulty keeping up.

Kitrina's sudden outburst about the pond caused Hew to look up to see that there was, in fact, a large pond in front of them. He took a moment and looked around, seeing that it was enclosed by some trees and thick foliage and a short pier jutted out a tiny bit to give someone a nice little platform to jump with. That's when an idea crossed his mind.

"Wanna go for a swim?" Hew blurted out, not really realizing that he had said it out loud instead of thinking it.

The question was so unexpected, that Kitrina just stared at him, "Um... What?" she stuttered.

"Do you wanna go swimming?" he repeated, a small smile growing across his lips as he looked at her.

Realizing that she heard him right, she quietly gulped, "We have no towels and it's gonna start raining any minute." she harshly whispered and cringed.

"It's warm out, and it's a summer rain." Hew's smiled grew little more.

"We have no suits." Kitrina countered, lightly nibbling on her bottom lip.

Hew shrugged, "I've never had one before. We can go naked." he laughed as Kitrina's skin started to flush.

_Naked? Is he serious? _Her face was burning hot, "W-What?... Naked? Um... I don't think that's a good idea." her heart started to smash into her sternum.

"Ok, in our underwear then." _Why is she blushing so hard? It's just a couple of friends going swimming isn't it? _He thought as his brows began to barely ruffle.

"People will see us." she answered, desperate to any excuse that would deter him.

"What people? We're in the middle of your parents property. It's completely secluded and surrounded by trees. The only ones who even know we're here are your parents. I think they have better things to do then spy on us." Hew countered, firmly holding his ground that they needed to go swimming.

Seeing as she had no more excuses, Kitrina sighed in defeat, "Ok, but just for a bit. Understand?" she blew out a nervous breath.

"Deal. I've never gone swimming water where I didn't need protective gear. This is gonna be fun." Hew was actually excited.

_Oh? He doesn't just wanna see me naked? He actually just wants to swimming. That's not so bad I guess. _She thought as a wave of relief washed through her that was quickly followed by a flash of disappointment that she thought was weird._ Why do I feel let down that he doesn't wanna see me with as little clothes as possible? _

As they made their way down the pier, Kitrina began to get a bit excited. The last time she had gone swimming just for fun, the last time was when she was ten and her family was on vacation.

"Hew, how goo..." her voice trailed off, taking her question with it as she looked up to see that Hew had already gotten out of his jacket, kicked his shoes off and was in the process of removing his shirt. At first, she saw the musculature of his lower back, but then the scars came into view and all she could manage to say was an airy gasp.

Kitrina was shocked at the pattern of scar tissue on Hew's back, but they didn't prepare her for what she saw when he turned around at her gasp. The scars on his back were matched and mirrored on his chest, her eyes trailing up his abdomen to his chest where her eyes only got wider.

"My God. What happened?" was all she could muster through her shock.

Hew stayed silent for a moment as he took in a deep breath, "They're... 'mementos,' for lack of a better word... From my past." he said, having issues holding her gaze.

"Oh Hew... I'm sorry, so sorry." Kitrina forced her mouth closed as he looked up into Hew's blue eyes that instantly looked away from her.

Hew's brows furrowed as she apologized for something she had nothing to do with, "Why are you sorry? You had nothing to do with these. You don't need to be sorry for anything." he said lowly, ignoring the spike of self conciseness in his gut.

Kitrina was quite for a moment as she took a deep breath, "I know, but... it's just... I don't know. I mean, your my friend and all and you never talk about your past. I'm just sorry for bringing it up." she stared down at her hand as she started having a hard time looking at him, feeling a bit bad for even bringing it up.

Hew slowly shook his head, "Kitrina... listen to me," he reached forward to catch her chin in his hand and turn her head so he could look into her eyes, "I consider you my friend too. Hell, my best friend even, but you need to understand something. I have a past that I'm not proud of. Its a past that I keep secret and for good reason. I don't talk about it because it's not an important part of my life anymore. I gained a second chance when I went to boot camp and I'm not going to let the mistakes of my past affect my future. It's a future that, I hope, has you in it... Both you and your family." Hew didn't let her answer as he slipped his pants off and jumped into the water.

What Hew just said, froze Kitrina in place as she struggled to wrap her head around the statement she thought she would never hear. _What did he just say? _She thought as a splash broke her from her thoughts. When she looked to where the sound had come from, she saw Hew swimming in the pond with another smile on his face. Quickly realizing she was still very much overdressed to go swimming, she quickly slipped off her clothes until she stood only in her underwear and was completely unaware of the effect she was having on the man in the water.

After a couple of seconds spent trying to get used to the water, Hew turned back to the pier, however, what he saw made his breath catch hard in his throat. Kitrina was striping to join him in the water, but the biggest surprise was the fact that her swimming attire was not Alliance issue undies like his, her attire was defiantly accenting her curves. He was surprised at the effect that she was having on him and he was extremely happy that the water was a bit on the chilly side. When she looked up and saw him staring, he immediately saw the blush rise to her face as she quickly dove into the water to join him.

Kitrina was thankful that the chill of the water cooled her hot skin of the heated blush. She could still see the look on Hew's face, as it was one of awe and the thought that it was directed towards her had most definitely crossed her mind. Even in the lower light and shadows covering the lake, she could clearly see his crystal blue eyes and they were following her as she swam. She remembered all the other boys who looked at her as she grew up, but none have ever looked at her the way Hew was, as if it was some privilege that he was able to see something that no one else could. Much to her surprise, was that she was actually liking it. The way it felt when she realized that he was watching took her a few seconds to come to terms that it wasn't embarrassment that colored her face, but excitement that he was interested in what she had.

When Kitrina finally returned to the surface, she found Hew waiting patiently and when they made eye contact, she couldn't help but smile at the look on his face. It was one that she was sure, hadn't been seen by anyone in a long, long time, even if it was only there for a moment. It was a look that she would hold dear for as long as she could, because it made her feel like she was the only one that mattered.

Hew couldn't believe the feelings that he just experienced were ones he thought long dead. Of course he thought Kitrina was attractive, that was easy to see, but he had been with a few attractive women. However, he never felt the rush of emotion with them. _Why does she make me feel this way? What makes her so special? _He couldn't take his eyes off of her, no matter how hard he tried. He watched as she dove into the water, as she effortlessly glided through it and when she finally broke the surface, he still couldn't turn away. _What makes her different then all the rest? _Judging by the smile on her face, he guessed that she saw the emotions that he was dealing with and after a moment of silence he was finally able to utter a few words.

"So... Know any swimming games?" Hew said as he wiped some lingering drops from his face.

The laugh that rang pure and true across the water made Hew shiver. After what just happened, the mundane nature of the question was just too funny for Kitrina to help herself. Seeing the look on Hew face only added fuel to the fire, but after a few moments of her laughter, she was able to calm down enough so she could talk and make sense.

"Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help it. That just kinda came out of left field." Kitrina giggled.

Hew arced his eyebrow again, "Um... How so?"

Kitrina wiped her eyes, "Well, we're here, in an intensely romantic situation that was made popular in romance vids and instead of saying some cheesy line, you ask a mundane question like that." she smiled.

"Oh. Did I do something wrong?" Hew asked, actually starting to wonder if he had done something wrong.

"No, not at all. If anything, you said just the right thing. The tension was a bit thick. Thank you for breaking it." Kitrina smiled.

Hew's soft smile returned, "Glade I could help, but that brings me back to the original question. Know any swimming games?"

Kitrina's smile grew as she nodded her head, "Of course I do Hew. This is one I played when I was younger. It's called Marco Polo."

With that, the rest of the afternoon was spent with either Hew chasing Kitrina around the pond or vise versa, and to tell you the truth neither could be happier.

****(")( " )(")****

Darien and Hannah were setting up the table when the the sound of laughter rang through the house, the higher chiming soprano of their daughter being the first they identified before they distinguished the deeper bass of Shepard. Darien was happy that his daughter had found a friend, as he had never heard her sound so elated, but he was also concerned that it was because of a man that he feared was a mystery. _That will change as soon as Will gets that info to me, but Jesus... it's good to hear Kit laugh like that. _

"Hey you two. Dinner's almost ready!"

****(")( " )(")****

Kitrina still couldn't believe what they had just done. She just spent the last four and a half hours swimming and sunbathing with Hew in her underwear. _My God! I can't believe I just did that! If daddy ever found out, Hew would be so dead, but I have to admit that it was worth it. I haven't laughed that much in years. _Kitrina thought with a smile as she looked over her shoulder at Hew, seeing him come up the trail that lead to the house. He had taken his jacket off so she could wear it to fight the chill of the cooling night, pulling the leather tighter around herself to catch a strong whiff of the leather, but the scent wasn't alone, there was something more, something very masculine. _Is that him, or the jacket? I hope that's him. I really like it. _She thought as they neared the house.

Hew went forward to open the door for Kitrina, proceeding to chase her as she entered the home and causing her to laugh with that chiming song he was finding he couldn't get enough of. The sound they produced drew the attention of her father, as she had heard him call from the dinning room.

"Hew, we need to hurry. Dinner's almost ready." Kitrina laughed, trying to lower her voice so that it didn't sound questionable to her parents.

Hew's laughter died down, "I heard. Did you need to change or are you good?"

"I'm fine. We dried off before we got dressed so they shouldn't know." Kitrina whispered as she headed for the kitchen.

Hew shook his head with a smile across his lips. The last six hours were some of the best he could remember and the funny thing was, was that it had little to due with the swimming in their underwear. It was spending time with Kitrina, just having her around made him happy. He was still amazed that she had stuck around after the practical exams and it was something that made him ecstatic every time he thought about it. _Sure, she was a bit skinny and unsure of herself, but now look at her. __She's confident, stronger. Just look at her! No! I'm not going there. She's my friend. I'm not going to fuck this up... but she's interested. she's said she was... Dammit! I'm not going do that to her! Maybe __when the time is right, but no sooner. _Hew thought briefly until he violently shook his head to clear it.

When his mind cleared, he found himself in the dining room, standing before a fully set table that was covered in food with Kitrina's mother carrying in a steaming bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Mrs. Wolff..." Hew tried to say, before Hannah halted him.

"I said to call me Hannah, Hew." she laughed as she set the bowl down onto the table.

"I'm Sorry," he quickly nodded. "Did you cook this all? I would have helped if you said anything." Hew said as he took stock of the sheer amount food in front of him.

After he had asked, the sound of giggling, first from beside him, then from the kitchen itself only served to confuse home some more. He looked first to Kitrina, then to her father who was walking out of the kitchen with a couple of take out containers and an amused grin on his face.

"Unfortunately, culinary skills are lacking in the Wolff women, but Hannah is a master of mashed potatoes and some very good dips." Mr. Wolff laughed as he sent his wife a loving glance.

At her husband's gab that was meant in good humor, Hannah sent him a quick and dirty look before looking back at Hew, "Your such a flatter Hew, but I'm sorry to say that I'm not that good of a cook. All I made was the potatoes and the salad." she admitted.

Undeterred from his wife's dirty glare, Mr. Wolff continued, "You should have seen the first time Kit tried to cook something. I think it was cupcakes or something for her class but..."

"Dad!" Kitrina barked, hoping to stop the looming embarrassment.

Mr. Wolff just looked at his daughter with a look that said he was trying not to laugh... too hard, "I'm sorry Kit. I promised not to tell that story didn't I." the laugh was hanging dangerously in his throat.

Completely confused by the interplay going on in front of him, Hew just watched like he was a fly on the wall. On the surface, it seemed pretty odd that a family, a group of people that loved each other, would pick on each other so much with no one getting upset at the other. _The more I watch this stuff, the more confused I get. I hope Kitrina can explain this one to me at some point._

After their round of playful and loving banter, they sat down to dinner which turned out to be uneventful. Most of it was spent with Kitrina telling her parents that the house and the property was amazing, which Hew wasted no time in agreeing with and how excited she was that they actually owned land. Hew helped clear the table and wash the dishes once they had finished their meal with Kitrina's mother spending the whole time trying to get any information from him about his feelings for Kitrina. Most of her questions were easily answered or avoided, but that was only until she asked how they met.

Hew studied Mrs. Wolff from the corner of his eye for a few moments, quickly fighting a battle of whether or not to tell and eventually decided to tell her everything. By the time he was finished, Hannah was speechless and just staring at him with a slightly parted mouth.

"Kitrina taught you how to read? I hate to sound rude, but how is it that you didn't know how to read?" Hannah asked with a cringe and as sweetly as possible.

Hew weighed the choice and eventually thought it better to just tell her, "Where I grew up, being able to read was a lower priority then learning to survive." he admitted.

"And where, pray tell, was that? I can't believe that there is that big of a problem on the colonies that children have to make that kind of choice."

"You're right. The colonies don't have that problem, but I'm from Earth." Hew said, looking away from Hannah and towards his hands.

The look on Hannah's face was a cross between pure shock and amazement and would have been funny had it not been directed at Hew.

The feeling of being unwanted started to spike in Hew's chest the longer he was under Hannah's stunned gaze, "I understand if you want me to leave. I'll go pack my gear and get out of you home. Thank you for letting me have this glimpse into what a family is like."

As Hew turned to leave, he felt a hand fall on his shoulder, causing him to look back and see Hannah still keeping her gaze on him, but her eyes were kind.

"You don't have to do that. Your Kit's friend and that is all that matters. You make her happy and that's enough for me." Hannah smiled with a gentle pat to Hew's shoulder.

Hew had no idea how to respond, opting to just look back at the mother of his best friend, but in doing so, he lost the chance to say anything as she turned and left left. _I either did a good thing, or a real bad thing. I Guess I'll find out tomorrow. _Hew thought as he finished up and headed up to get ready for bed, where he fell into a restful sleep that was filled with dreams of the best day of his life..

****(")( " )(")****

Hannah awoke the next morning to the smell of bacon and pancakes. She smiled as she got out of bed, taking in deep breaths of the lovely aroma as she got dressed, but when she put on her robe, she saw her sleeping husband. Her smile quickly turned to a look of worry as she wondered who was cooking, praying it wasn't her daughter, but not knowing who else it could be, she hurried to follow the scents. However, when she entered the kitchen, her expression turned to one of shock, as standing by the stove was Hew, wearing Alliance issue sweat pants and a gray undershirt.

"You can cook?"

****(")( " )(")****

Hew was actually having fun. After his morning run and a quick shower to wash his body free of sweat, he went down the hall to the kitchen to get something to eat. When he opened the refrigerator, he noticed that there was enough food for a full breakfast, giving him the idea that it would be a nice way to say thank you to Kitrina's family for their hospitality. So thus, he set out to make breakfast.

First, he started with the basics; eggs, bacon, pancakes and even omelets with various ingredients. He was in the middle of getting the pancakes started when a surprised voice sounded from behind him.

"You can cook?"

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Kitrina's mother leaning against the door frame leading from the dining room, to the kitchen, "Yep... a little. It's nothing elaborate, but who can mess up eggs? And before you ask... Yes, there is coffee."

The look that spread over her face caused Hew to smile as he watched her go over to the island, poor herself a cup, take a sip and role her eyes in ecstasy.

"This is really good. Where did you find the grounds?" Hannah asked, taking a seat on a bar stool and drawing in a long, deep breath of the coffee.

"In the cupboard. I'm sorry, I don't know how to use the auto brewer so I did it the long way." Hew lightly shrugged as he skillfully flipped a pancake.

"Pardon? You mean to tell me, that you hand brewed this coffee?" Hannah asked, her eyes widening as she glanced down at her steaming cup of brew.

Hew looked up from the browning pancakes in the skillet, "Yeah... I had to use a couple more pots, but it turned out ok... I hope." he lightly winced.

"No, it's wonderful. I haven't had fresh brew in a long time. It tastes so much better then the stuff the auto brewer makes," she took another sip. "How long have you been up by the way?" she added, not wanting them to fall into silence.

Placing the finished pancakes in the oven to keep them warm, he poured more batter into the skillet that immediately began to bubble as it cooked, "Since around Oh four thirty or so to get a run in. I'm still not used to all this down time, what with my life on Earth and boot camp." Hew said as he checked the browning side of the flapjack.

Hannah lightly laughed, "I guess so. How are you adjusting to it?" she asked kindly.

Hew half shrugged, "It's hard, I'll admit, but I'm finding it worth the effort. In the last six months, I've met better people then I have in the last nineteen years, but the hardest thing I've come across is how you, Mr. Wolff and Kitrina all interact. Every time I think I just about understand this whole 'family' thing, you guys go and change it up on me," he laughed. "Besides that, I'm having a great time."

Hannah nodded her head, "Ah... The 'family' thing. It is a bit hard to figure out from the outside, don't worry, you'll figure it out eventually. It makes life exciting." she smiled with another sip of her coffee.

"I'll have to take your word on that, but anyways, did you want something specific for breakfast?" Hew asked, finding that he was rather enjoying the conversation.

"No, the basics will be fine... wait... are those omelets?" Hannah's eyes widened once she laid her eyes on the egg concoctions.

"Yes..." Hew answered, drawing out the word just a bit as he grinned.

"Gosh, I would love you if you could make me one with bacon, sausage, red and green peppers, onion and cheese. Is that asking to much?" Hannah cringed.

"Of course not. If you get the peppers, onions and the sausage, I'll whip that right up. The ones in the oven only have cheese and bacon in them. Do you want one of those to hold you over till yours is done?" Hew asked as he gathered the desired ingredients for the order.

"I'll wait for mine thank you," she smiled as she got up to get the peppers and onions from the fridge. "I might not be able to cook, but I can cut up the peppers and onions though."

The two fell into a comfortable silence as Hew cooked and Hannah explained what everyone liked on their omelets. Hew enjoyed the little bits of conversation, finding that it was a pretty good time and in the forty-five minutes it took for the rest of the family to wake up, he learned more about the family then what Kitrina had let slip in basic. He was starting to figure that 'family' thing out.

****(")( " )(")****

Darien was having a wonderful dream. He could smell bacon, pancakes and peppers, "Mmm... my favorite... omelets. You spoil me Hannah."

That's when Darien sat bolt up right in bed with a look of terror on his face. _Who the Hell is cooking? We just got this place! I don't need a kitchen fire! _Darien thought as he quickly got out of bed, grabbed his robe and ran out of the room. However, on his way down the hall, he damn near ran straight into his daughter.

****(")( " )(")****

Kitrina awoke to the smell of breakfast being cooked. _I love my daddy. He always surprises us. Oh my... is that onions? He remembered my favorite. _Getting out of bed and pulling on a light sweater,_ she_ headed out into the hallway and was nearly run over by her father.

"Wait... If your here, who's cooking?" Kitrina asked, the feeling of anxiety rising in her stomach.

"That's what I would like to know." Darien said, clearly very jittery as he started to rap his fingers against his hips.

Both quickly ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, desperately hoping that nothing was burning, but it sure didn't smell that way. When they arrived at the entrance to the kitchen, they both stood in shocked wonder. There, standing at the island was Hannah as she cut the peppers and onions, but the thing that surprised them even more, was the fact that Hew was at the stove cooking breakfast.

"You can cook?" the duel yelp range through the air.

The smile the spread across Hew's was priceless, "Yes, I can cook. Why is everyone so surprised?" he tried not to laugh.

Kitrina and her father slowly walked into the kitchen with looks of amazement covering their faces as they watched and smelled the array of irresistible treats that filled the kitchen. Mr. Wolff's nose caught the scent of coffee, drawing him over to the coffee pot where he poured himself a cup and continued to watch Hew at the stove. He took the time to look over the spread and he could only be impressed by the sheer amount of food being laid out by the young man he had been so unsure about.

"How long have you two been up?" Darien asked as he helped move the food to the table and took his seat.

"I've only been up for that last forty-five minutes, but Hew's been up since four thirty. He decided to cook us breakfast as a thank you." Hannah was quick to answer and with a beaming smile on her face.

Darien nodded his head, "Where did you learn to cook Shepard? This looks pretty good." he asked as he started to dish out servings.

Hew looked up from his plate as he placed a couple pancakes onto it, "Nowhere in particular. I just picked it up over time." he said as he dressed his pancakes and started on them.

The four fell into silence as they all dug in, nearly head first, having no time to talk since they were too busy stuffing their faces with the feast Hew had cooked up for them. When breakfast was finished, left overs were stored and dishes were cleaned with everyone helping out to get it done quicker.

Once everything was done, Kitrina had the idea to take Hew out to see the town. She found him sitting in the living room reading something on his data pad which turned out to be the reading program she had gotten him during basic. _He's still trying to improve himself. _ She thought as she noticed he was still wearing the same civilian clothes as the day prior. _That's my way in. I'm taking him shopping! _

"So Hew... What'cha doing?" Kitrina asked with a playful and mischievous tone to her voice.

Hew looked up from his data pad, "Reading." he said flatly.

"I can see that smart ass." Kitrina lightly chuckled as she sat down next to him.

Hew's brows furrowed a bit as he gave Kitrina his full attention, "You've planned something didn't you." he deadpanned.

"Why yes I did. I wanna go to town." Kitrina smiled.

"Then go." Hew laughed.

Kitrina snorted, "Let me finish... I wanna go to town and your coming with me." she grinned.

Hew looked over to Kitrina's dad who was still trying to hide his laugh by covering his mouth with his hand, "Why do I have to go?" he arced an eyebrow.

"Well, for one thing... your wearing the same thing you did yesterday," she raised a hand to forestall his argument. "Two, I can't go without someone because my parents still treat me like I'm seven, not SEVENTEEN." she raised her voice as she directed it towards the man sitting across the room.

Mr. Wolff looked up from his datapad wearing a look of pure innocence, "What? Who me? Hannah, I think your daughter said something about you."

"Oh, so now she's my daughter? Like you had nothing to do with her being here." Hannah replied as she folded her arms.

This must have been another one of those 'family things' Hew was still mystified by, but he never got a chance to get an explanation as Kitrina grasped his hand and dragged him to the door.

"Um... Kitrina? Where are we going?" Hew asked as they walked through the door into the warming sun.

Kitrina just grinned as she looked over her shoulder, "The mall!" is was painfully obvious that she was excited.

The last thing Hew heard before the door closed was the barking laugh of Kitrina's father. _Uh oh._

****(")( " )(")****

"What... The... Hell... Is... That?" Hew gaped, staring at the massive, hulking structure in front of him.

"That's the mall." Kitrina lightly laughed.

Hew looked back to the huge building at the constant stream of people going in and coming out. He had seen malls before, but nothing on this scale and never this close since the law enforcement on Earth kept the homeless out of the upper class areas and that's where the malls were.

"Come on. It'll be fun." Kitrina said as headed to join the stream of people.

_How come I seriously doubt that. _He thought as he followed Kitrina, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

Upon entering the mall, any preconceived notions he had had about the place were thrown out every window that was within reach. People were everywhere and caring bags, boxes and parcels of dozens of shapes and sizes. There were scores of different shops, just as many non-humans and the giant skylight in the towering ceiling let so much light in, that people had to keep their sunglasses on, even inside.

"What do they do with everything? Why do they buy so much?" Hew asked, not meaning to have his voice as loud as it was, but sure enough, Kitrina heard it and answered.

"Everyone does different things. Some shop for need, some for fun, some just for the Hell of it." Kitrina said with a low shrugged.

"What? Did I hear you right? People shop for fun?" both of Hew's brows arced high in surprise.

"Yeah. Why?" Kitrina said a little matter-of-factly.

"Why do they waste money when they could save it for something better... like food? Is this the world you're trying to show me? People who have no idea what a true problem really is and are content to live in an ignorant bliss as long as they have their mall and vid units? How is this better then my old life?" Hew said, his tone growing agitated and his words turned sharp.

Kitrina flinched as if she were struck by what Hew said. I_s that how he really sees us? Is that how he sees me? _She thought as she looked away from him and felt herself sinking down into her shoulders.

"How was your family able to teach you values in a society that produces shit like this?" Hew asked, pointing at an add for an upcoming movie that consisted of a severely under-dressed woman and with a heavily gene modded male lead holding her.

Kitrina looked at the poster and would have argued the point if the poster wasn't displaying that the movie was a sequel, "Ok, ok. I'll admit, people do some strange things, but not all of them are bad. Most are just trying to stay normal and survive," she waved her hands in a placating gesture to hold off Hew's retort. "Albeit with a large vid unit and too many cloths, but everyone is there own person. I can't even start to explain it all, but trust me Hew. There are more decent people out there then not. Please trust me." she sighed, feeling her eyes begin to sting which forced her to look away from him again.

Hew just sighed, "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but only you. Ok?" he said in a low voice.

Sighing in relief, her lips lightly smiled, "Deal. Let's go find you some new cloths."

The two headed out on their quest and spent an hour just walking around the mall with Kitrina showing Hew all of the different kinds and types of people that were there. There were the mallies; People that go to the mall just for the sake of going to the mall. The mall hunters; men and women that go to the mall to try and hook up with random people and the posers, which Kitrina had to hold Hew back when they passed a group of kids who were wearing cloths that would look right at home on the streets if it wasn't for the designer tags. However, that's not the thing that set Hew off. It was one of the 'thugs' that made a comment towards Kitrina that he didn't like.

After several minutes, they finally arrived at a large clothing store that, to Hew's relief, wasn't as populated as the rest of the mall.

"This place looks good. Let's see what they have ok?" Kitrina smiled as she lead him inside.

Looking at the displays in the store's windows, Hew reluctantly agreed to enter, but again, he had little choice in the matter since his hand was grasped by Kitrina and she was guiding him inside. It took an excessive amount of will on Hew's part not to punch the far too preppy clerk that instantly got on his nerves.

"How can I help you two today?" the clerk asked with a bit of fake swag in his steps.

Hew didn't get a chance to answer since Kitrina replied for them, "We're just browsing. If we need assistance, I'll be sure to call for your help." she said kindly and managed to not even look at the clerk which seemed to disappointed him.

"Well have fun miss." the clerk said with a nearly inaudible grown that Hew caught.

As the clerk walked away, Hew couldn't help but thank Kitrina for the save, "Thanks. I honestly had no idea what to say to that guy." he whispered.

"No problem. Come on... Let's go look for some new stuff for you." Kitrina smiled again and started towards the racks of male clothing.

After several hours of rummaging through rack after rack, Kitrina found Hew looking at jeans and button up shirts that she thought he would look good in, "Hey... Look what I found." she beamed as she pulled the articles from their place.

Hew looked up from the rack he was looking at and noticed that Kitrina was holding a pair of tan slacks and a collared polo shirt, "Um... Who's that for?" he arced another eyebrow.

The bark of laughter that came from Kitrina sent a subtle shiver down Hew's spine that made him stand up a bit straighter.

"You goofball. Go try them on." she said, her smile still there as she walked up to him.

He sighed as his eyebrow stay arced, "Why? Those aren't exactly my style." he lightly cringed as he touched the fabric.

Kitrina rolled her eyes, "Oh come on... It'll be fun. Humor me."

Hew heavily sighed as he allowed her to lead him towards the dressing rooms. "Here... You go in there, try on the cloths and then come out so I can see how you look. Alright?" she instructed.

Hew sighed again, "I get it. I get to be your dress up doll... It's just this once." he joked as he headed into the dressing room.

It took everything Kitrina had to not squeal with glee, "Thank you." she beamed.

As Hew entered the small room, he looked at the clothes again and lightly groaned. _Is she serious? Oy... This isn't gonna go over well. _After a few moments of looking at them, glancing at the door, thinking of Kitrina and inspecting the clothes, he finally reconsidered with a shrug. _Why not. _

Just on the other side of the dressing room door, Kitrina was so excited that she was having a hard time sitting still. As she looked around to find something to focus on, someone from her past came into view. Moving to hide behind a clothing rack, she was able to block his view of her, but at the same time, she lost sight of him which turned out not in her favor.

As she was trying to stay invisible, she failed to notice that the person she was trying to avoid had come around behind her.

"Well... well... well. If it isn't Kitrina Wolff. How ya doing _freak_?" the young man around her age said with folded arms and a judgmental stare.

****(") ( " ) (")****

Hew stepped out of the dressing room, still looking at himself in the mirror wearing the clothes that she had picked out for him, "Hey Kitrina... What you think?"

When he received no answer, he looked over his shoulder and noticed she wasn't where she said she'd be, "Kitty?" he called out again, hoping that she just didn't hear him the first time.

Looking around a second time, he finally caught sight of her standing over by the winter jackets. He started to walk over to her when he started to notice a few seemed stiff and her body language said that she was nervous, but he had no idea why. _Why is she acting like it's the first week of boot again and who the Hell is that guy? _He thought as he stood off from them, but close enough to hear.

****(") ( " ) (")****

Kitrina couldn't think, let alone talk. She felt like she was six again, looking at this person from her past and feeling like she was about to be judged.

Standing in front of her, was Peter, her first crush. The first she let close and the first one she told her secret to, but he was also the first to use it against her and the one who crushed her heart when he laughed at her and called her a freak.

"So... Did they let you out of your cage for good behavior, or did you earn it on your knees?" Peter sneered with crossed arms and eyes that wondered over her new, far more muscular figure.

She couldn't believe he was saying these things to her. _Why is he saying that? _As Kitrina was about to respond, a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

"Kitty? There you are... What's up?" Hew asked as he looked from Kitrina, to the strange man standing in front of her in a posture that he didn't like. _He's posturing... He's trying to seem bigger then he really is. _He thought with a sidelong glance to Kitrina which revealed just the opposite. _She's scared and confused. _

Turing his full attention to the stranger, Hew decided to take whatever heat this young man was giving to Kitrina, "Hey, Hew Shepard. You are?" he asked as politely as possible.

The young man known as Peter looked from '_The Freak,' _back to the much larger man who seemed to be with her. _Could he not know that the bitch is keeping a secret from him? I should warn him. It's the least I could do. After all, a _Freak _doesn't deserve to be happy._ He thought as he straightened his shoulders.

"Hello. The name's Peter... Peter Udina." Peter nodded in Hew's direction.

"Nice to meet you Peter. Do you know Kitrina?" Hew asked, sidestepping closer to Kitrina just a bit to reassure her that he was there.

An evil smirk began to spread across Peter's face, "Oh... I know her. I know all about her. Has she told you her _dirty_ little secret yet?" he sneered, shifting his eyes to Kitrina which caused him to miss Hew's shift in body language.

Hew, deciding to play along and see what would happen, placed his arm across Kitrina's shoulders which allowed him to feel her relax just a bit, "Oh? What secret might that be?" he shifted his gaze to Kitrina, curious as to the contents of this secret, but in reality, he was judging her reaction to his presence.

"Well that figures. Trying to act all normal, but let me tell you, she's a _freak. _She's one of those Biotic _freaks._ She's a mutant. She's something that shouldn't be allowed to co-mingle with us normal and decent people." Peter spat, pointing a lazy finger in Kitrina's direction.

Hew wasn't sure if he had heard that right, "What did you say?" his brows began to pull downwards.

Peter sighed, "You heard me. She's... A... _FREAK. _She should be locked up, but no, the Alliance thinks their good for something. Well I guess a weapon is a good use of them. Hell, maybe they'll get them all killed off. It would do the Galaxy a favor if they all just die..." Peter was silenced when he was no longer capable of running air over his vocal cords.

Hew's fist shot out in a blur so fast, that Kitrina never got the chance to even react from his sudden movements. One moment, his right arm was hanging at his side and the next, it was around Peter's throat.

Hew was pissed. He was beyond pissed and into the irate category, as everything was tinged with red, "I'm sorry... I think I missed that last part. How would the Galaxy be better? Hmm?" he said in a low, trembling voice, that if you weren't paying attention, it could pass as a low growl of an angry animal.

All Peter could do however, was gasp as he struggled for breath, clawing at this Hew's hand to find that he couldn't break the grip. Unfortunately for Peter, the last thing he heard was a question asked by the mall security.

"What's going on here?" a large, rotund, mall security man asked with an annoyed stare at the small group.

Hew looked over at the sound of the question, quickly realizing that it was just a mall cop. _These places need their own cops? That's just sad. _

"Nothing of importance Officer. This young man and myself were just finishing up. Unfortunately, he seems to have fainted and this was the only way I could keep him from falling. In hindsight, it does seem to be a pretty bad way, but you have to admit, it is effective." Hew finished as he released Peter, letting him slump to the floor.

"Uh huh... right. Young lady, care to shed some light on this issue?" the security officer asked, still with the same annoyed look on his face.

Kitrina was still at a loss as to how this whole thing had gotten so out of hand, but in some small part of herself, she couldn't help but feel happy that Hew would do that for her. She couldn't believe that Hew was even able to keep his arm around her while suspending unconscious deadweight off the floor, but she didn't have much time to think about since the security officer's question drew her attention back into reality.

"Um... What?" she stuttered.

"Could you explain what happened here?" the officer repeated.

Kitrina drew in a long breath to help steady her nerves, "It's like he said. Peter fainted. I know him from grade school and he was prone to passing out then too. Maybe it was the excitement." she lightly shrugged.

The security officer looked from the young man, to the young woman and found that he had nothing to hold them on since they were the only ones present and their stories matched. _I need a real job, _"Alright. You can go, but don't let me find you involved in any trouble again." the officer warned.

"Thank you sir. I'll keep him out of trouble." Kitrina quickly responded as she blew out the breath she realized she had been holding.

As the security officer left, Hew glanced at Kitrina, "Are you alright Kitty?" he asked in a voice that was just above a whisper.

"Um... Yeah. I'm fine, but... what did you call me?" Kitrina asked, looking up at Hew with brows that were barely ruffled.

"Oh uh... Kitty. Is that alright?" Hew said, having a sudden feeling that that wasn't the brightest thing to do.

"Why Kitty?"

"Well... um... your parents call you Kit. I didn't wanna call you that since it's your parent's term of endearment. I just wanted to give you one that... could be... mine... I guess. Is that alright?" he asked, the feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.

Kitrina eye's widened ever so slightly. _He wants to give me a nickname? A term of endearment? that's so sweet! _"It's perfectly fine. Of course, that means I'll just have to find a good nickname for you then." that smile that Hew was finding he rather enjoyed spread across her face once more.

Hew chuckled, "Good luck with that. Can I change out of these cloths now? Please?" he nearly begged.

Kitrina had laugh at that. After looking at what he was actually wearing, she realized the the clothes she picked, were most definitely not his style. Though the clothes were nice, they really didn't fit his frame like she hoped they would. He just wasn't built for the way the clothes were cut.

"Alright. You can change." she said as she patted Hew's arm and worked on getting her laughter under control, but that proved difficult since the look of relief that Hew gave almost made her lose her composure for a second time.

They finished up their stop in the clothing store with Hew selecting several pairs of relaxed fit jeans and about a dozen button up shirts of both solid and pattered styles. He picked up a few packs of boxer briefs before they left and the color Kitrina turned when he asked her opinion almost made it worth the trip altogether.

After paying and having everything sent to the Wolff's cabin, they left the department store with Hew wearing a fresh set of his new clothes and the old leather jacket that Kitrina thought he looked fantastic in.

"You really go for comfort over fashion don't you." Kitrina silent chuckled as she looked him over to admire his new look.

Hew looked down at what he was wearing before he looked at Kitrina with a soft smile on his face, "Yeah. If I'm going to buy something, you bet your ass it's gonna be comfortable. I'm not walking around in a monkey suit just to satisfy other people."

Kitrina just shook her head, "Anyways... Where do you wanna go next?" she asked, hoping he would say something along the lines of somewhere in the mall.

"Um... This is a bit embarrassing, but do you know where I could get an Omni-Tool?" he rubbed the back of his neck.

Kitrina's smile grew to it's full size at the mention, "Of course I do. Come on... this way. I hope they haven't move it." she said as she grabbed Hew by the hand and took off.

After several sets of going up escalators, down elevators, across bridges and over pedestrian ways, they finally stood in front of an electronics store. It was a little off the beaten path and not that crowded, but the look that came over Kitrina's face when she looked at it, told Hew that she most likely had been there before.

"Uh... Kitty... Are you sure this is the place?" Hew asked, cocking another eyebrow as he studied the store's facade.

_I'm liking this nickname more and more, _"Yep... Just trust me Hew." she winked and lead him inside.

When they entered the shop, a small ding sounded from somewhere towards the back of the shop. The shop itself was different then what Hew expected. The racks of massed produced electronics were gone, being taken up by subtle display cases that housed some of the most finely crafted devices Hew had ever seen. There were Biotic Amps and Omni-Tools of all types and ranging in price. All looked hand crafted and all were very expensive.

"Kitty... I think this place is a bit out of my price range." Hew cringed as he looked at a beautifully crafted Biotic amp that he had to refrain from touching.

"Don't worry Hew. Everything is gonna be just fine."

Hew remained quite as Kitrina guided him to the counter, tapping a button that rested on top that caused a different chime to sound from the back of the shop and out of sight. As the chime faded the clerk came into view and that in itself, sent Hew into shock.

_Holy shit! Is that an Asari? What the Hell is she doing here? Is 'she' even the right pronoun to address her as? It... aw Hell with it. My fucking head hurts. _He thought as the Asari approached the counter, but before he could say anything, the clerk seemed to recognize Kitrina.

"Kitrina Wolff? Is that you? It has been years! My... You have grown into quite the beautiful young woman," she beamed as she noticed the young man standing beside her. "Oh? Who is your friend Kitrina?"

"Ok... My manners seemed to have slipped. Matron Arira Ze'than, this is Hew Shepard. He's my friend, a true friend. Hew this is Matron Arira. She was my Biotic's teacher. My parents found her and asked her to help me when my Biotics started to manifest." Kitrina said, motioning with her hand to each person as she said their names.

Hew studied the Matron for the briefest of moments, "Kitrina speaks highly of you. If she holds you in such high regard, than I will as well. I trust her judgment." Hew then reached forward to shake her hand in greeting.

He was caught a bit off guard when the Asari matron grasped his hand in both of hers and pulsed her Biotics. He glanced at Kitrina for any cue, but when he received none, he returned his attention to the Asari who held his hand.

"A most impressive friend you've found Kitrina. He does not seem frightened of Biotics. That is rare in your people to whom the gift is rare," the Asari turned her attention back to Hew. "Now young man, how can I help you?"

Hew rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand before replying, "Um... I'm looking for an Omni-Tool, but your selection is very impressive. I'm afraid I can't afford what you're offering. I'm sorry to have taken time from your day, but I am glade that Kitrina was able to meet a friendly face."

Arira cocked a painted eyebrow at the young man's statement, "A 'friendly face'? Would you like to explain Kitrina?"

Kitrina looked at her feet, unable to look the matron in the eyes, "I bumped into Peter."

"Ah, I see. Well, I am glade you had young Hew here with you. Let us see if I can help your friend shall we?" Arira smiled.

Kitrina looked up at Arira and smiled, " Yes, I would like that."

"In that case, please follow me."

Seeing as she was still holding his hand, Hew figured he had little choice in the matter. Arira guided both of them into the back of the shop, which housed an even larger collection of Biotic Amps and Omni-Tools. Arira proceeded to sit at a workbench that looked as if it had been used continuously for years and look through an assortment of Omni-Tools that weren't nearly as elaborate as the ones out front, but all bore the marks of being hand crafted and well made. Finding what she was looking for, Arira moved Hew closer to the workbench and took some measurements of his wrist and forearm with an old fashioned measuring tape.

"Is there a particular color you'd prefer?" Arira asked after only a few short minutes.

"I like blue, sliver, black and gray if that helps. Why?" Hew just shrugged.

"Well, if you must know. I find the bright orange coloration a bit eye searing. Do you not?" Arira drawled without looking up from what she was doing.

"To tell you the truth, I've never owned an Omni-Tool before." Hew admitted, trying not to pay too much mind to the heat of his cheeks.

"Oh? This is exciting then, is it not? Your first Omni-Tool. We should celebrate. Do you not agree Kitrina? How about lunch? I will pay. It is the least I could do. After all, it is not every day that I meet a friend of yours Kitrina." Arira beamed.

See as they had no way to refuse, both Hew and Kitrina agreed. After several moments of fine tuning and calibrations, Arira seemed to be content that both the Omni-Tool and its housing were in working order. She stood up, brushed some nonexistent dust from her dress and handed the device to Hew.

Hew accepted the gadget from the matron, but he didn't get to hold it long since Kitrina took it from him and showed him out to put it on his wrist.

"Well? Are you not going to turn it on?" Arira asked after several moments of Hew just staring at the device.

Hew didn't look up from his wrist, "Um... How?" there's that random heat in his cheeks again.

Kitrina just laughed. For everything that Hew knew, there was still so much that he didn't and when they found one, it was always something that Kitrina took for granted.

Arira was a bit taken aback, as it was rare to find someone that didn't know how to use such simple technology, well, simple for her, "Here... Let me show you."

After several minutes of instruction from both Arira and Kitrina, Hew was using his new Omni-Tool like a pro.

"I'm very grateful that you've spent all this time with me and letting me to learn on this, but I have to say again that I can't afford something of this quality Matron Arira." Hew said as kindly as possible.

"Nonsense... It's a gift. My former student sees value in you and so do I. Think of this not as a gift, but as a token of appreciation from a teacher who values her student's choice of friends." Arira smile as she lightly placed her hand on Hew's shoulder.

Hew was dumb struck. No one besides Kitrina has ever shown any from of interest for his well being before.

"Uh... Thank you... Matron Arira. I'll cherish this. Really... Thank you." Hew said, looking from his new Omni-Tool, to Kitrina and eventually to Arira.

The three left the shop and found a diner the catered to many different cultures, both human and non-human. Hew was amazed at how Kitrina and the Matron interacted, as it was the first time seeing the shared student/teacher relationship between them, but they seemed to have developed a genuine friendship. They always looked each other in the eyes, leaned somewhat closer to each other as they talked and both wore smiles that just wouldn't quit on their faces the entire time they ate.

As the two left, Arira had to wonder what those two would do together, for when she greeted him, she felt the same thing she felt when she greeted Kitrina all those years ago. _They will do great things._

After Kitrina and Hew said their goodbyes, they went on their way and before long, they found themselves outside and walking around a small man-made lake. Hew had been messing around with is Omni-Tool nearly the entire time, mostly scrolling through the pre-installed programs, but exploring it none the less. There were a lot of things that it could do, ranging from playing games to other things that were a bit out of his league at the moment so he selected one simply titled 'Life-Line.'

After a few seconds, a display popped up showing a local map and on it were two blue dots. One was dead center and the other was slightly overlapping it. He tapped the one in the center which brought up a set of GPS coordinates and he figured that tapping the other would do the same, which it didn't. First, a list of data started to scroll down the secondary window that popped up and the second, was that Kitrina's Omni-Tool lit up. _What the hell?_

Kitrina was enjoying the time with Hew when her thoughts were interpreted by her Omni-Tool suddenly lighting up and sending a light buzz against her skin. Looking at the display, she noticed a strange program running that she didn't recognize. _Life-Line? What's this do? _She thought as she remembered when Matron Arira had given her the Omni-Tool all those years ago as a graduation gift. She also remembered when she tried the program, but it did nothing. Now, looking at the display, she saw two blips. One was dead center and the other was slightly overlapped. Upon taping the slightly off center blip, Kitrina was rewarded with a secondary window that displayed scrolling data in real time, but when Hew made a noise of surprise, she turned to look at him.

"Hey Kitty... Do that again." Hew said, staring at the display.

"Do what again?" Kitrina shrugged.

"Whatever you just did. Just do it again." he urged with a smile.

Looking at Hew with a strange look on her face, she taped the slightly off center blip again.

"Huh..." was all Hew said.

Confused, Kitrina opened her mouth to say something, but her own Omni-Tool cut her off when it pinged again and caused her to look at it.

"It seems our Omni-Tools are linked. I'm guessing it's so we can find each other anywhere. I wonder what the range is." Hew thought out loud.

_A program called 'Life-Line' that links our Omni-Tools together. I wonder what Matron Arira is up to?_ She thought, failing to notice that Hew had come along beside her and she continued to fail until he draped his arm across her shoulders to pull her close.

"You know, I think I could get used to this. It's so peaceful and you have friends here," Hew started to say until his attention was caught by a shiny glimmer. "Hey look! A lake! Wanna go for a swim?"

Kitrina again laughed at the way Hew's attention span shifted from long, to short in the blink of an eye and the way he deadpanned the question was so similar as to when he first said it, that she had to struggle to keep from laughing harder. _I think I've laughed more in the last couple of days then I have in my whole life. _She smiled.

The two fell into a comfortable silence as they walked around the lake, deciding not to go swimming since it wasn't nearly as private as the one at home until they eventually found themselves sitting on a secluded bench, watching the sun drop down on the horizon. Unbeknownst to them however, they were slowly leaning in towards each other against their free will and before long, Kitrina had snuggled in close for warmth and Hew was pulling Kitrina in tighter for reasons he would never really understand or realize.

"This was a perfect day." Kitrina whispered, turning her head to look up at Hew, realizing then at just how close they were.

Hew was in awe of what was happening around him. In all the chaos of trying to learn new things, he and Kitrina were able to find a place of solitude. As Hew reflected about the day, he couldn't help but realize that the main contributing factor, was huddled in close under his right arm. His musings were interrupted by a whisper from said factor, causing him to turned his head and notice just how close they now were. He looked into Kitrina's deep green eyes and felt himself drawn forward and unable to stop it.

Kitrina could see the thoughts flowing behind Hew's vivid blue eyes and she had to admit that they seemed to be getting even more so the longer she looked at , any more thought was lost as she felt herself lean forward to come into contact with something ruff, but warm, yielding and inviting.

Hew felt a wave of relief wash through him as their lips touched with a soft graze that could barely register as a kiss, but he pulled back to see how she would react.

Kitrina was dizzy, happy, light headed and excited, all the same time. _He just kissed me... He really did it... I think. I better not be dreaming. _She thought as she tried not to hyperventilate from her excitement, but before she could talk, Hew brought her closer and she felt his lips on hers once more.

As the first was a chaste and simple kiss, the second was anything but. She tried to deepen the kiss, slowly trailing her tongue against his lips in long, unbroken strokes and she was soon rewarded as Hew's own tongue met hers. His tongue felt soft against hers, but it had a certain roughness that was not at all unpleasant to experience. The feeling was new to her, but it was invigorating as her body flushed, first hot, then cold to raise a soft layer of gooseflesh along the exposed skin of her arms. Her hand slowly drifted up Hew's arm until it came to rest on the side of his neck, his skin there mimicking the same texture of his tongue, as it was soft until her fingers grazed over the fine roughness of the days growth at the top of his neck.

Seeing that Kitrina was not offended by the first kiss, Hew thought to push his luck. After all, she had started it all those weeks ago on Titan. At first, he was worried because nothing happened, but when he felt Kitrina's gentle brush of her tongue, he returned it in kind. He knew she was new to all this, so he allowed her to lead the intimate moment and set the pace, finding that he had started to smile when he felt her wrap her arms around him and hold him tight, one hand on the small of his back and her other on his neck, as if she was worried he might leave. So, to reassure her that he wasn't going anywhere, he wrapped his arms around her.

After what felt like an eternity, the embrace was broken as Hew drew back with a smile creeping along his face, "Now... Now it's perfect. I'm sorry for the wait, but I wanted it to mean something and now it does." he whispered, swallowing his delighted sigh as he brushed the back of his hand over her flushed cheeks.

Kitrina lightly giggled, "It was well worth it Hew... Well worth it indeed." she returned the smile.

Hew's own low chuckle joined hers as he lightly bit his bottom lip, "I... I really hate to break the mood, but I think we should be getting back to the house before your folks come looking for us." he was perfectly content stay exactly where he was, but knew that they had to get back.

Kitrina nodded, "Yeah... We should. That's a bummer. I wish we could stay here forever. I had a real good time with you." she smiled, finding that she was being swallowed up by his eyes.

"Me too Kitty... Me too."

****(")( " )(")****

Darien was sitting in his office doing some paperwork and it was the last thing he was wanting to do. _I'm thousands of light years way and they still need me to sign req forms. Some things never change. _He groaned as a beep rang from his terminal.

He turned to the terminal to see that there was one message waiting for him, causing to wonder who would be sending him a message when they knew that he was on shore leave, but he immediately remembered his earlier conversation when he opened it and read its contents.

F**rom: Captain Scott, William Alliance Intelligence**

** To: Captain Wolff, Darien SSV Montana**

** Subject: That info you requested.**

** Attachment: (Shepard, Hewbert Arthur: Background )**

** I don't know what this kid did, but his record is sealed up tight. I had to call in some favors just to get it. He was given **_**'the choice'**_**, but there is a notation on his file that I didn't recognize. 99 Omega. I've never seen this on a Jarhead's file before so I looked it up. It means he can't go back to Earth unless it's a Military operation or a state of emergency. This kid is damn near exiled Darien. With all my favors, that's all I could get. His file reads like a Black Ops specialist, as in heavily censored but this kid has no military training whatsoever. I hope you can make heads or tails of it. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help old friend.**

Darien's brows pinched together. _Hmm... Interesting. _When he was about to open the file attached to his message, he heard a noise from the door, causing him to look up and see his wife standing, leaning against the door's frame with her arms crossed.

"Honey... Why do you have that 'I ate a bad sandwich' look on your face?" she asked, keeping a straight face.

Darien sat up straight, "Well... I just got a message from Will and..." he never got to finish.

"YOU DID A BACKGROUND CHECK ON HEW?" Hannah boomed, uncrossing her arms and letting them hang angrily at her sides.

"Hannah listen... I was..." again, he was cut off.

"I don't want to hear it Darien! Kitrina trusts him! I trust him! That should be enough, but no, you had to bring in your friends to poke around this young man's life!" Hannah hissed through nearly clenched teeth.

"I was only looking out for..." Darien was getting really tired of not being able to finish his sentences.

"Kitrina? That's bullshit and you know it! You were looking out for yourself, or is that star more important then your own daughter's happiness?" Hannah barked, holding her hand up to stall her husband's retort.

"Now just wait a damn minute Hannah. You know I love her and that 'star' as you put it, didn't even cross my mind. I just want Kit to be safe." he said sternly, standing from his chair and placing both hands on his desk.

"If that's all, then you'll delete that message and _ASK_ Hew himself when he gets back, but be warned... If you read that file, then your on the couch until she finds someone that makes her happy like Hew does. Someone she trusts exactly like him." Hannah sneered and recrossed her arms.

"Wait...WHAT? All this over someone we don't even know? How is it that you have so much faith in this kid?" Darien was awestruck.

"It's very simple Darien. HE. MAKES. KITRINA. HAPPY. How many friends does our daughter have huh? How many people does she have in her life that support her like he does? Tell me you heard how they met. Hell, GySgt. Ellison sent us reports of what happened during Basic training. Hew did all that with no thought, but to keep her safe and a total disregard for his own. That's why I trust him. He's good for her." Hannah said in a much calmer tone of voice.

"How could you be so sure?" Darien challenged.

"It's simple Darien. I get the same feeling from him as I got from you the day we met."

Darien rolled his eyes and sat back down. _Fuck, _"Hannah... I trust your gut instincts, but this is to big. I mean... it's our daughter we're talking about. Our _only_ daughter. I can't risk it and I'm not willing to."

"That instinct, as you call it, has served me well in my career. It has served me well in my life with both you and Kitrina. Let me make this call Darien. I'm asking you to trust me." Hannah said with an exhale of breath.

Darien was put on the spot by none other then his own wife. On one hand, he had access, ok some access, to the past of Hew Shepard, but on the other, he did trust his wife and her gut feelings, "Aw damn. I'll do this your way Hannah. I'll ask him when he gets back." he relented.

"That's all I can ask Darien. Thank you." Hannah said before she turned and left, with a soft smile growing on her face. T_he balls in your court now._

****(")( " )(")****

When Hew and Kitrina finally returned to the cabin, they were confronted by Hannah.

"Hew, Darien would like to talk to you for a minute. He's up in his office. Kitrina, could you come help me get something ready for dinner?" she asked kindly.

Hew gave Kitrina a quick glance of reassurance before heading off towards the stairs. As he rounded the corner of the hallway, he heard Hannah's reassuring words to her daughter before he walked past the stairs, heading down the hall a bit until he reached Darien's office where he knocked and waited.

After a few moments, Hew heard his cue to opened the door and entered the office where he stood front and center of Mr. Wolff's desk, much like he did during Basic training.

"Have a seat young man." Darien motioned with his head to the chair in front of his desk as he finished up something he was working on.

Hew shifted to his left and sat in the provided chair, slowly blowing out the nervous breath in hopes that it would distract him from the nervous twist in his stomach.

"Do you know why I wanted to talk to you?" Darien wasted no time in asking.

"No Mr. Wolff." Hew shook his head.

"Well... I know nothing about you except what I have from a bias source, namely Kitrina, so I had a friend do some checking," Darien placed an OSD on the desk between himself and Hew. "He sent me this. I was going to read it, but a cooler head said I should ask you to tell me about your past. I want you to tell me about yourself." he said coolly.

Hew was knocked off balance, which was rare. _How much should I tell him? _He thought, his eyes drifting from Mr. Wolff's, to the OSD and back again before clearing is throat to begin.

"Well... To start off, I was born on Earth and wound up in an orphanage that was ran by the The Tenth Street Reds. It was used as a recruiting station for the gang. They weeded out what they considered weak by letting them get adopted, but the strong were kept and rolled into the gang when they were old enough and by old enough, I mean five to six years old because they were better at panhandling. When they hit the teens, the male kids were taken and trained as thugs for lack of a better word and the females... well... you can guess. I, unfortunately had a gift. I was bigger then most. I picked up on how to hurt people quickly. After several years and a list of felonies that I won't go into right now, I was able to climb the ranks and achieve the position of a trusted Lieutenant. I developed a reputation as someone who could get stuff done. I was used as the boogymen of the streets. The gang leaders called me Virgil and it took me forever to figure out why. I was the problem solver for the Reds. Eventually, events conspired and I was caught, put on trial and given the choice of jail time or service. Seeing as I had no desire to spend time in prison, I chose service since I was always good at following orders and it gave me a chance at a new life." Hew said, opting to let his eyes bounce around the office instead of looking a Mr. Wolff.

Darien sat there quietly, absorbing what he said with his hands clasped in his lap. Nothing in what Hew said explained why he was listed as a 99 Omega however.

"Thank you for telling me all that, but I have two questions. How and why did you get listed as a 99 Omega?" Darien blatantly asked.

Hew was confused,"Uh... A what?"

"A 99 Omega."

"I have no idea what that means Mr. Wolff." Hew said, still feeling extremely nervous.

Darien watched Hew for a few seconds to let him squirm a bit, "It pretty much means you pissed off someone high enough to damn near exile you from Earth. I'd love an explanation."

Hew rubbed the back of his neck. _Dear God, _"Um... I'd really rather not Mr. Wolff. It was something that needed to be done, but I really don't want to talk about it." he hoped, prayed even that that would be enough to dissuade the man sitting in front of him.

Darien leaned forward a bit and rested his elbows on his desk, still with clasped hands, "Hew... You're important to my daughter, so I need to know if this will place her in any danger. If it will, I can't let you be around her. It's for her safety." he quietly explained, keeping his eyes on Hew's, even though his weren't looking back.

Hew weighed what Mr. Wolff said, despite very much not wanting to talk about the incident, but he didn't want to lose Kitrina and especially not after what happened this evening. After several seconds, he finally steeled himself, "This can't leave this room sir. Please swear that to me this this won't leave this room."

"Excuse me?" Darien asked, his brows furrowing slightly as he weighed Hew's request.

"If you want to know, you have to give me your word that it wont be spoken of again." Hew urged, finding some courage to stand on and hold his ground.

Darien was a bit taken aback. The man before him was demanding he swear to keep what he was going to say secret. That's never happened before and especially not from someone who was extremely close with his daughter. Keeping a secret wasn't the problem however, it was the fact that a nineteen year old had one he needed to be kept.

"Alright... I swear." Darien said flatly.

Hew took a deep breath, "Thank you. This is only known by me, the judge and the Prime Minster of the Allied Earth Nations."

That little tidbit caused Darien to raise his eyebrow, "The Prime Minster? _The _Prime Minister?"

Hew nodded, "Yes... _The_ Prime Minster. His daughter had a very bad habit of heading down to the slums of New York. She would dress to play the part too. You know... when rich, spoiled little girls want to feel all brave and stuff. Well... for years she stuck to the safer slums. The ones that were patrolled and monitored and such, but this time, she somehow slipped out to the real slums. Those are the ones where the police don't go without a Military escort and a damn good reason. Anyways, whenever rich people wonder into the slums, one of several things can happen. One; they get killed. Two; if recognized, they might get ransomed and three; This one only really only applies to females, is they usually get picked up and get 'taught a lesson,' before they're ransomed and when the child is born the, 'father' would raise a stink and agree to back off if the parents paid them off. The Prime Minster's daughter was no different." he slowly sighed.

"They kept the child? I hate to sound cruel, but why not abort?" Darien asked.

"That would require a lot of paperwork and if there was one thing the uptown citizens didn't want, was proof their daughter not only went slumming, but got raped in the process." Hew adopted a very over done British accent, "And that is just not done in polite society." Hew rolled his eyes.

"Did you... ever teach one of these lessons?" Darien asked, not sure if he even wanted to know the answer.

That caught Hew's full attention, "No... I walked in on it being taught. I never liked that aspect of the leadership. You have to understand, I was a thug. I've hurt people, sent people to the hospital, even killed people, all in self defense, well, mostly self defense, but I've never abused a woman. Not in any way. That just never set well with me, so when I saw what they were doing, I reacted without even thinking. When it was all over, there were four dead Reds, a scared young woman and I was covered in blood, so I did the only think I could think of. I grabbed the girl and ran. By the time I stopped, I was at a check point and had four armed police aiming their weapons at me. The rest I'm not to sure about because I got hit upside the head with something hard and fast, but when I came to, I was in a jail cell wearing a prison jump suit. At that point, I still had no idea who the girl was, but that was only until the Prime Minister graced me with his presence. He demanded to know why I had raped his daughter. Of course, he didn't believe me when I denied raping her so I was rushed into a closed courtroom with a judge, the Prime Minster, the girl and myself. I was almost thrown in jail until the girl told the judge that I had nothing to do with what happened to her and that I was the one who actually saved her. The judge took this into consideration and then gave me the choice. I'm guessing the Prime Minster wasn't happy about that. I guess that's how I got that 99 Omega thing." Hew finally finished as he hung his head.

Darien was shocked to say the least. If what this young man was saying was only half true, it was unbelievable and seeing as Hew had no reason to lie, he had to take the entire story at face value and true.

"That's... That's quite the tale. You're telling me, that you got arrested because you saved the Prime Minister's daughter and he thought you raped her even though she said other wise. Is that correct?" Darien summarized, still not sure if he wanted to believe the tale.

"Yeah... That's what I'm saying, but you can't tell anyone outside of this room. It's part of the deal. It's a gag order." Hew said, momentarily glancing into Darien's eyes.

"I understand Hew. Thank you for trusting me with this." Darien shallowly nodded as he leaned back into his chair.

"Just... don't let Kitrina find out. Please... she's the best thing that's ever happened to me." Hew said, only moments away from all out begging.

Darien could hear the pleading in Hew's voice, "You have my word. Kitrina will never know of this, but you have to promise me one thing."

This time, Hew kept his eyes locked with Mr. Wolff's, "Anything Sir."

"Promise me you'll never let her come to harm. Promise me that one thing." Darien's eyes narrowed into small slits.

"You have my word. I'll do everything within my power to keep her from harm." Hew said, his voice ringing with sincerity.

"That's all I can ask. Thank you... for both trusting me with this and for your promise."

Hew nodded once then stood and left the office, leaving Darien alone to look at the OSD still resting on his desk. He reached out and picked it up, inserted it into his Omni-Tool, looking at the load button for only a few moment before he pressed the trash can indicator and wiped the contents. _I can't believe someone that young has been through something like that. _With another glance towards the door, Darien stood up and headed downstairs to eat dinner with his family... His whole family.

****(")( " )(")****

The rest of their leave was filled with running in the mornings, sometimes joined by the elder Wolff's, followed by breakfast, which Hew insisted on cooking and afternoons filled with barbeques, picnics and swimming. Kitrina used the time to try out a number of different swimsuits, starting with modest one piece's before gradually moving into more revealing two pieces, all in an effort to get a rise out of Hew which was working pretty well. They had conversations together about relationships and such while they swam and sunbathed, just enjoying each others company. The evenings were filled with stories of Kitrina growing up and how they all dealt with being on ships most of her childhood, but as all good things, their leave drew to a close and on a Friday morning, Hew and Kitrina stood at the front door in their Service Alpha uniforms, waiting for the transport that would take them to the Spaceport where they would head to Arcturus Station for their 'N' classification training.

"You two be good and Kit, stay in touch ok?" Hannah smiled as she gave her daughter a hug.

"I will Mom." Kitrina smiled back.

Darien shook Hew's hand and in doing so, pulled him into a hug and whispered into his ear, "You keep her safe Hew. Keep you promise."

Hew nodded, "You have my word Mr. Wolff."

Darien released his hold on Hew, allowing him to pull away, "You can call me Darien, Hew. You're family now."

Hew began to smile, "Thank you. You have no idea what that means to me... Darien." his heart actually started to thump a little harder.

"Oh... I think I can guess. Stay in touch will you? Both of you and that's an order." Darien lightly laughed.

Both snapped to attention and rendered a salute to the elder Wolff's, "Yes Sir... Ma'am." both said simultaneously.

Darien and Hannah nodded, both with smiles since they were in civvies, just as the transport arrived, loaded and pulled away with Kitrina and Hew in it.

Hannah and Darien Wolff watched in silence as the transport flew away, both lightly smiling as the same thought cross through their heads.

"You think they'll make it?" Hannah asked once the transport was out of sight.

Darien smiled, "Oh... I don't think we'll have anything to worry about. They'll do fine."

The two elder Wolff's stood in the doorway for some time before Darien broke the silence, "Well... we still have a week left on our shore leave. What ever shall we do?" he played coy as he placed a finger on his chin.

Hannah's mouth started to curling into a wicked grin, "I think I can come up with something that can keep us entertained." she winked.

"Really? I wonder what that might be." again, Darien played coy as he placed his hands on his wife's hips and pulled her to him.

Hannah was quiet for a moment before she just came right out and said what was on her mind, "I think I want another child. I miss not having a little one around. We even have a home now."

This knocked Darien off center since it came from left field, "Um... I thought we were ok with Kit. What changed your mind?"

"We were always worried how she would fit into society, but we just saw that she'll be just fine. Plus, the odds of us having another Biotic child are slim. I don't work anywhere near an Eezo core." Hannah said, trying not to sound like she was begging.

Darien thought a moment about what his wife was saying, "Then the question of retirement again rears its ugly head. I can't take care of the child until it's off breast milk, or you finally consider formula."

Hannah lightly bit her lip, "I'll take all the leave I need, but will you actually retire to raise the child while I still serve?" she asked, looking up at her husband sweetly.

"If it makes you happy, I will. If it's truly what you want, I'll do anything within my ability to make it happen." Darien smiled, brushing his knuckles over Hannah's cheek until his fingers were lightly tangled in her hair.

Hannah couldn't believe what she was hearing, "You know, when you say and do things like this, it reminds me why I fell in love with you." she said, her eyes filled with mirth and her lips softly smiling up at him.

Darien pulled Hannah into an even tighter embrace, "So...When exactly did you want to have this little bundle of joy?" he asked, leaning in just a bit closer to her.

Looking up at her husband, Hannah could only smile, "Well, I was hoping we could start practicing today. Is that two soon?" she somewhat pouted.

"What... a seventeen year gap between children isn't good enough for you?" Darien teased.

"Not what I met silly, but seriously... Are you ok with having another baby?" Hannah asked, hoping she wasn't pushing Darien into anything.

"I feel like I should be asking you that. After all, you do the hard part. If you feel ready, I see no reason why not." Darien said lowly.

Hannah's heard started to hum as she pressed herself into him, "I love you so much Darien. You have no idea what that means to me."

Darien leaned in real close so he could whisper into Hannah's ear, "You a can always show me."

"Oh you dirty old man." Hannah growled in good humor, lightly tapping Darien's cheek and starting to walk back into the house.

When Darien turned to ask if she wanted to try tonight, he was interrupted by the blouse that landed on his head. Removing the blouse, his path lead him to find a bra lying on the stairs, causing him to arc and eyebrow as his wife's chosen breadcrumbs. At the top of the stairs, he found a pair of slacks and at the master bedroom door, he found a pair of panties that grew an expecting grin on his lips. _Apparently, she wants to practice. I'm good with that. _Darien grinned as he opened the door to see his wife under the covers and with a look in her eyes that left very little to interpret. Darien walked up to the bed and slowly crawled on, the only thing between him and his wife being the this comforter she wore to cover herself.

"That answers that question." was the last thing Darien was able to say before his mouth had better things to do... much better things to do indeed.


	8. Secrets and History

Chapter 8: So it begins...Again.

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, nada, zip zilch, bupkiss. Mass Effect is the sole property of BioWare and they do as they please, I just make the characters dance to my own twisted music. Right now its twinkle twinkle little star, you can thank my 18 month old niece for that one. _

_A/N: I am so sorry this is late, I have no excuse but I'm going to use one anyway. I had writers block and am putting in a lot of over time at work. It pays the rent but eats up what free time I have left. I am trying to get on a regular update schedule but far to many shinny things exist in my immediate proximity. For those of you who have held out I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patients and support._

* * *

><p>The trip to the Space Port was made in silence, but that was only until Hew's Omni-Tool beeped, spurring him to look at the screen and notice that a small part of his orders had been unsealed. Tapping his finger on the now readable document, he saw that it simply stated to report to the USO, and to present the OSD to the Alliance official usually stationed at a large desk. When he briefly glanced at Kitrina, she simply returned it with a raised eyebrow.<p>

"You get the same thing?" Hew asked, raising his own eyebrow in question.

Kitrina just nodded as she too, looked at her unsealed orders.

"Guess we know where to go at least." Hew shrugged.

With that simple gesture, the pair fell back into silence, something they had been doing a lot of lately, as their transport slowed and soon landed at the space port with a gentle shudder. Its hatch unsealed and opened to finally allow Hew and Kitrina to step out onto the landing dock, finally getting the chance to get a look at the place, but that would have to wait as they adjusted to the sudden rush of bright light.

Once they had finally adjusted and stretched, they got their first, real look at the space port, which was most definitely not what they had been expecting. The space port catered to both civilians and military personnel, and because of this, most of the port had been built to be reassuring and comfortable. Entirely the opposite of what a standard military facility should be like. On the flip side, the military portion was not comforting, or reassuring. It was more functional with the stark walls and basic furnishings, bland décor and the generic, mass produced food that could be found at every military instillation across the Systems Alliance.

After several moments of mild shock and dumbfounded looks, Kitrina nudged Hew's arm and tilted her head towards an office at the rear of the concourse. It was very blatantly labeled with large USO letters hanging over it and a closed door with a placard that read 'USO Attendant'.

Seeing the sign, Hew started towards the door, winding through the throngs of people until they arrived, where he knocked and was quickly answered with a gruff voice.

"Enter." the voice said through the door.

When they entered the closed office, a uniformed man looked up at them, his face emotionless and leading on that he was very much, not impressed. The man was tall, even when he was sitting down with neatly cropped, flat brown hair that was buzzed on either side of his head. His eyes were a cold gray and his skin looked as if he needed to be thrown out into the sun, if at all to make him less see through.

Without saying a thing, they both presented the man with the OSD that he quickly took, and scanned, putting them into a small device that sat directly next to his terminal.

"Where did you get this?" the uniformed man asked harshly, not even looking at the pair standing in front of him.

Hew was the first to speak up, "We were handed the orders after we finished Basic, but before we were released on leave... Sergeant." he quickly added after a breath of hesitation.

_That sounds about right, _"So, which one of you received the orders?" the man asked, again with the same flat tone.

"We both did Sergeant." Hew said, not even noticing that he had squared his shoulders.

One of the man's eyebrows popped, "Both? Huh... Well... I guess there's a first time for everything. I'll have your flight set up in an hour. Hope you guys like space." the man deadpanned.

Hew was a little put off by the Sergeant's last remark, as it sounded as if the man was being facetious, and if his light grin was an indicator, he was trying to keep from out right laughing in their faces. Lightly furrowing his brows with irritation at the man's demeanor, he pushed it to the back of his mind while he lead Kitrina to find a spot to stow their gear inside the USO where they found a couple somewhat comfortable seats, and sat down to do some more waiting. That's all they seemed to be doing. Hurrying up, just to wait.

(")( " )(")

The flight to Arcturus Station was brief and uneventful, just like all the other flights they seemed to be taking in rapid fire succession, but both were far too busy reading their new orders, now that they were fully unlocked. There were plenty of details that they needed to go over, but when you're simply a teenager, reading the complicated lawyer speak was a bit of mind roasting chore.

"Does this make any sense to you Kitty?" Hew asked, keeping his eyes locked on his Omni-Tool as he kept attempting to reading and comprehend the screenful of text.

"Uh... It looks like we have to check in and wait some more," she sighed. _Great... More waiting._ She thought with a light groan.

"Seems to be how everything is going." he slowly shook his head. "I guess we'll find out more when we get there huh?" he said with a subtle chuckle.

And both couldn't be more right. They spent the rest of the trip in more, unending silence, reading through their orders, trying to catch some sleep in preparation for not being allowed to get any, and all around just trying to keep from getting too nervous. That was more on Kitrina's end, but still, she was nervous, and having Hew next to her was only providing a minuscule amount of comfort. They had grown tired of all the crushing silence, and both wished that they could still be on leave, but they knew they had to shift back into the military customs they had been taught, and that being able to show any affection in any way towards each other, like they had on shore leave, was going to be few and far between.

Their boredom was finally broken when the pilot's voice crackled over the internal comms of their transport as they slowed, and eventually touched down at their final destination.

_"Attention... Attention. We've arrived at our final destination of Arcturus Station. Please have your identification ready and all personal belongings collected before you depart the transport." _the comms clicked off.

As Hew and Kitrina got their gear collected and headed to the receiving area, they spotted a group of Alliance personal, all together forming all the differing branches of the Systems Alliance. They headed in that direction, Hew noticing the looks of uncertainty and nervousness which was very much present on Kitrina's own face, and he wasn't even sure if he displayed the same, but as they drew closer, a grizzled Staff Sergeant stepped forward.

"Can I help you two find where you're going?" the Staff Sergeant asked, hands firmly placed on his uniformed hips.

"Yes Staff Sergeant... We're looking for the," Hew glanced at the datapad, "Special Operations Training Command... Well... the receiving section actually." he lowered the datapad to his side and looked back to the Staff Sergeant.

The Staff Sergeant's eyebrow popped high over one of his eyes, as he had rarely seen a young Marine tapped right out of boot camp, but two was something he had never seen, nor heard about, and believed it highly unlikely. His eyes bounced between the large Lance Corporal and the smaller, petite PFC standing in front of him, and for their part, they stood straight up, and radiated confidence. _Still, this can't be right. _He thought as the one eyebrow came down to furrow with its partner.

"Which one?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Hew raised his own eyebrow, "Which one what Staff Sergeant?"

The Staff Sergeant's face crinkle a bit more, "Which one is looking for SOTC?" he grumbled.

Before Hew could open his mouth, Kitrina spoke up, "Both of us Staff Sergeant." she held his gaze with a straight face.

The Staff Sergeant was about to call bullshit, but when his Omni- Tool started to beep, everyone in the little group was startled by the silence's sudden shattering, including the two stand in front of him. He noticed that the large Lance Corporal was looking towards that door, that had been closed, but when he came out of his slight shock, his gaze fell upon a lone man wearing a full dress uniform, with the iconic N7 blood strip on his right sleeve.

"You're all here for training. Follow me. All the rest, get the fuck to where you need to be." the N7 operative said harshly, hands clasped behind his back as he glared at the fresh gathering of potentials.

Without even waiting for the potentials to start moving, he turned and walked down a hallway, disappearing from sight as the group quickly gathered up their gear and followed. Everyone walking down a series corridors and rooms that Hew was pretty sure weren't on any sort of formal evacuation map, but after confirming that he was thoroughly lost and discombobulated, they arrived at a different hanger.

"Alright... Everyone on the transport!" The uniformed man gestured towards the lone transport and walked inside, again without even waiting for the group.

When the last of the group was seated and secured, all remaining silent, a slight, continuous hiss sounded through the cabin, causing Hew to look towards the hatch, but it was closed and had been already sealed. It was evident that that wasn't the cause of the continuous hissing, so he glanced over to Kitrina, seeing that she was quickly nodding off into a deep slumber, but before he was even able to register what was going on, he passed out.

(")( " )(")

Hew was groggy, thirsty, and for some odd, strange particular reason, really pissed off. He immediately knew what had happened, and knew exactly what that hissing was that had filled their cabin. It was a knock out agent, but his first reaction wasn't to express his anger at being knocked out, it was to check on Kitty, finding her asleep, along with the rest of the group.

Groggily, he glanced around the silent cabin, taking note that the seats were tall and taking advantage of the miniscule privacy, he slowly raised his hand and lightly brushed it back along Kitrina's cheek. He felt his lips tug into a half smile as he tucked a loose lock of her hair behind her ear, admiring how peaceful she looked, sleeping there beside him, but despite its unnatural cause, he admitted that she was beautiful. It somewhat shocked him that he had thought that, but the more it repeated, over and over in his head, the more he agreed with it, and the more he felt at ease about it.

Too soon for his liking however, the serenity passed as his sense of calm shifted back to the anger he had for being gassed. With another glance around the cabin for the uniformed man that had lead them to the transport, he extracted himself from his seat and made his way to the cockpit, but before he could even raise his fist to pound on the door, it opened to that very uniformed man from before.

"Well, well. It looks like someone's awake," the man chuckled, "Might have to use a stronger dose next time." he grinned, leaning against the door's frame.

Hew's anger shifted into the livid category, "You gassed us? Why the Hell would you do that? And where the Hell are you taking us?" he demanded, having to tightly grip his pants to keep from all out decking the man in front of him.

The uniformed man just stared blankly for a moment, seemingly sizing up the large Marine standing in front of him, but was confidant that he wouldn't react to his easily seen anger.

"Well... both questions can be answered. We are heading to a classified location for training, and we gassed you to disoriented so you wouldn't figure out where it is. Does that answer your questions?" the man said sarcastically.

Hew just stared, his face straight and emotionless as he kept his gaze, "You gonna drug me again?" he asked, his low voice growling deep in his throat.

The man's smirk grew, "Don't need to... We're already here. Get back to your seat. We're beginning out approach." he said flatly.

Hew wanted to give the man the what for, but swallowed it and heeded the man's order, heading back to his seat just as Kitrina, along with everyone else, was coming to.

"Sleep well?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper as his anger vanished, watching Kitrina's eyes slowly begin to flutter open.

She drew in a long breath, her head thumping, her throat dry and her stomach lightly rolling inside her belly. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust through her fog, but upon hearing that familiar, deep voice she had grown to immediately recognize, it gave her something to hold on to. She jerked her head towards that familiar voice, but it turned out to be a bad idea, as a wave of nausea rushed through her entire body. Luckily, it passed quickly and her vision cleared, showing her that Hew was next to her, a light smile across his lips, but his eyes, appeared to have a fair amount of concern.

"Yeah... I did... No... scratch that... I feel awful actually." she groaned, her head lightly lolling from side to side.

Hew's throat rumbled with a low, huffed laugh, "Well, if it makes you fell better, I woke up felling like shit too, but I have some good news." he said lowly.

She drew in another, long breath, "Mmm... I could use some good news." she hummed.

"I do believe we've arrived at wherever it is we need to be. Everyone's starting to wake up." Hew said, his right arm twitching with reflex to brush that lock of hair, but he forced it to remain where it was. On his armrest.

Kitrina groaned, "That's it huh? I was hoping for better." she rubbed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Afraid so Kitty. Oh, and the guy in uniform is a dick. He seemed to enjoy gassing us." Hew said, lowering his voice even more so no one would overhear.

Kitrina sighed and slowly shook her head, " I guess as much. We should get our stuff ready."

"Yeah. Let the games begin."

As the transport lowered to its designated landing zone, Hew and Kitrina gathered their gear from the compartments about the cabin where they waited the last few minutes for the transport to land, and headed out of the airlock. However, when they exited the ship, they weren't greeted by the standard atmosphere that was present at every space port, they were confronted with an arid environment, causing them more disorientation. As if they didn't have enough of that already from the gas.

As the group formed up on the tarmac, Hew and Kitrina included, the uniformed man directed them to yet another transport. The group piled in in a single file line, taking their seats without a single person saying a word, mainly out of fear of invoking the uniformed man's anger. Hew and Kitrina took their seats, again, sitting next to each other as the hatch sealed and lofted, taking them to a heavily wooded area.

As they flew, Hew could make out features in the forest and out laying areas, despite only being able to get a momentary glance at them before they vanished beneath the canopy of green. He continued to watch until the transport reached a moderately sized clearing, slowing and lowering itself to the landing zone and let them out, but as they left the transport, Kitrina drew his attention to the base that sprawled out, nearly completely covering the clearing as if it was a secret, hidden grotto.

"Its fucking huge." Hew breathed, his voice down so only Kitrina could hear.

That was putting it mildly, as the base not only covered the entirety of the clearing upon which they had just landed, but stretched into the woods themselves like long fingers combing through hair. But there was something off about the large, sprawling compound, as something that big was never totally off the grid, yet here it was, off the grid and classified to the point where even those destined to train there where to not know its exact location. But through the shock at the sheer size of the facility, nothing but questions were running through Hew's head. _Why is this place so big?_ _Why do those buildings look like medical facilities? What the Hell is this place? _He thought as he noticed what looked to be a parade deck and podium, set off to the side of where they had just landed.

After a few moments of gawking from the group, the uniformed man climbed up to the podium and stood, hands behind his back, how he seemed to like them, and finally addressed them.

"Good afternoon. I bet you're all wondering where you are and why you were brought here. The second question I can answer, and is a bit obvious if you just take a minute to remember what got you here in the first place. You're here to gain your N7 qualifications. However, when it comes to the first, it's not my place to explain, so I'll turn you over to Commander Basalone," the man said, stepping aside as he called the group to attention and saluted the approaching Commander.

The platoon immediately snapped to attention, as had been instilled in them by their rigorous training as the Commander looked around, his eyes landing on some while passing over others until they reached a tall Lance Corporal, and a pretty little brunette standing next to him. _So here are the two Ellison called me about. _He thought as he quickly studied the pair, whilst gathering his notes for his 'introduction speech'.

"As my Sergeant Major stated, good afternoon. In regards to that first question, I can't use a particular title as we have Navy, Marines and Army personal all present on board, so because of this, you are no longer Private First Classes, or Lance Corporals in some cases, you're cadets. Seeing as this whole operation is funded by the Navy however, don't get cocky, they're squids, but they have deeper pockets, we follow a Navy ranking system. It makes things slightly easier upon your graduation when you'll get your commission into the Alliance Navy. Of course, that's _if_ you graduate," the Commander's lips stretched into a wide grin, "I can see the confused look on your faces... 'If we use the Navy ranking system, why is there a Sergeant major?'Well... Sergeant Major Warren is that much of a badass and no one has the balls to issue him his Chief Warrant's commission. Something about a round house kick, or something, but that's beside the point. Just know that if you piss him off, you won't live to tell the tale." The commander looked towards the man whom had spoken before him, watching as his grin spread wide into a satisfied smile that could only mean, that that man was the very Sergeant Major upon which the Commander was referring to. "Now... that's enough of me gabbing. INSTRUCTORS ASSEMBLE!"

With that, a door on one of the buildings nearest to where they stood opened, allowing a large group of individuals to emerge, all in uniform, and all appearing less then friendly, but not all, were human. Mixed amongst the group were Asari, Quarians, and several Turians with strange markings on not just their faces, but their armor as well.

The moment it was realized, the murmurs started amongst the group, none understanding why there was a mix of aliens at such a classified, human facility. When the murmuring began to grow in its volume, the Commander spoke up.

"Shut it! All of you!" he waited for the group to quiet down, which only took a moment, "They're here to train you and they all know things that none of you do. Between the Asari alone, they have over twelve hundred years under their belts. The Alliance tasked me to train the best, and I plan on doing just that. We all know the Alliance likes to put personnel in their little boxes; Soldiers, Adapts, Engineers... I believe in giving you all the skills available. In that regard, I'm a firm believer in the Vanguard, Sentinel, and Infiltrator training, but I take it one step further. I give you full training. Your specialty will be determined during processing, but you'll be handed the tools to make great things." he paused a moment, letting his words sink in, "Now... If you will excuse me, I need to hit the head. Too much coffee... Sergeant Major... Take charge and carry out the plan of the day." a smirk crossed his lips.

"Yes sir... Platoon! I want Biotics over here! All others over there! Move!" the Sergeant Major bellowed, his voice carrying across the clearing and bouncing off the buildings.

As the platoon scurried to divide into the two groups, Hew was mildly surprised at the number of Biotics amongst them, nearly split right down the middle and he quickly spanned the group, looking for Kitrina to see that she was thinking the same thing.

With one final look into each other's eyes, the two said a wordless goodbye, both searching as if to memorize the other's face. They knew they would not see each other for some time, and strangely, Hew was saddened by the thought. They had trained together while in basic, never being out of each other's company for more then a few minutes, but he had no idea how long it would be until he got to see her again. He found himself wishing he could kiss her lips one last time before they were whisked off to wherever they were to be taken, but as they grabbed their gear, they went their separate ways, with each other's faces firmly engrained in their minds. It would be all they would have for awhile.

(")( " )(")

On the far side of the facility, where the non Biotics were taken, Hew was having an interesting experience. During his time in the Reds, he had spent a lot of time in medical facilities, despite that the only reason he was there was to rob them blind of meds, equipment and anything else that could possibly fetch a small profit. So when he realized that the facility was defiantly not your standard Alliance facility, it set off a couple of internal warning bells. This was only compounded when the CMO walked out from behind a partition to address the group, and she wasn't human.

"Welcome and good afternoon everyone. Just to make sure no one states the obvious, yes I am Asari. Yes, I am purple, and yes, I have breasts. So, let's get started shall we?" she quickly rattled off, her hands clasping a stack of datapads, presumably one for each cadet standing in front of her.

Hew couldn't help but laugh at the Doctors introduction, but this caused the doctor to look at him with a flat expression.

"Is something funny cadet?" she asked, more of deadpanned.

"No ma'am. You just reminded me of someone is all." Hew said, standing up tall.

The doctor popped an eyebrow, "Right... Everyone find a bed and settle in. This is probably going to be the hardest and most painful part of your training, so get as comfortable as you can."

As the group of cadets moved to claim their rooms and beds, Hew took one of the last available rooms. As he set his gear down, one of the medical technicians entered, holding what he could only guess was his datapad.

"Shepard, Hewbert Arthur, 5923-AC-2826?" the technician read.

"That's me." Hew said, hopping up onto the lone bed in the room.

The technician glanced at him for a moment, seemingly because of the unmilitary response, but quickly glanced back to the file to confirm the picture, "Do you have any pre-existing medical conditions I need to know about, or any questions about what we're going to do?" the technician asked.

"I just have one sir... What are you actually going to be doing to me... us for that matter?" Hew asked, even sitting being taller then the technician.

The technician raised an eyebrow, "You really wanna know? Most Marines just wanna get in and out. They're not usually concerned about the stuff we put in." he said, lowering the datapad.

"Well... I'm one of those curious Marines I guess." Hew lightly tilted his head.

"Alright, if you really must know, we'll be doing some gene mods that will increase muscle and bone density, and we'll be implanting synthetic glands that will release Adrenalin, Dopamine and some other chemicals that will help you during combat. You'll get trained on how to trigger the glands later on once you recover." he quickly explained.

"Huh... Don't gene mods take like... ten years to take affect? Seems kinda like a long term investment and I doubt training takes that long." Hew said, resting his clasped hands in his lap.

Before the technician could answer, both glanced towards door as the Asari doctor entered.

"That's why my people and I are here. The Alliance was kind enough to allow us to perform the procedures, and use our patented techniques to speed up the gene mod implantation." she said, closing the door behind her.

"So we're test subjects?" Hew scoffed, "Figures." he mumbled.

The doctor glanced at the technician before looking to Shepard, "You don't seem upset by this."

Hew sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Alliance gives me a shot at a new life and proves that old saying... Nothing in life is free." he shrugged.

The doctor nodded her agreement, " But is it not also said that 'nothing in life worth having is, easy?"

Hew smiled, unable to stop the thought of Kitrina, wherever she may be, "That's true... Alright... Bring on the experiments." he nodded.

The doctor nodded at the technician, watching him prepare a syringe with a clear liquid and walk up to Shepard, laying him down on the bed. However, as he injected the liquid into Shepard's arm, he jerked, jarring the bed and donning what looked to be an angry sneer across his face.

"What did you just give me?" the anger in his voice surprised both women.

"It's alright. It's just a sedative. Trust me when I say you really don't want to be awake for the next six weeks." the doctor said, her voice soft and as comforting as she could make it in hopes of calming the angering man on the bed.

Hew nodded, just as his head began to feel numb, and the room began to spin. His heart beat filled his ears as he tried to watch the Asari and her assistant, but their words were slowed, like someone had pushed the slow motion button on their remote. Lolling his head back into the pillow beneath his head, he spent the last bit of concentration that remained to pick out the words that slurred out of their seemingly nervous faces.

"Reeedddd thannnnd." was all he got before everything went black.

Watching the Marine on the bed drunkenly trying to look around, she glanced at the technician still holding the datapad in his hands, noticing something the spurred her to quickly snatch it away and examine the notation.

"Oh for Goddess sake. Get the restraints and anti-seizure meds now!" she barked, glaring at the technician as he scurried to carry out the order.

"What's wrong ma'am?" he asked, not even slowing his pace.

The doctor grabbed the restraints and the medication as she thrust the datapad into his hands for him to finally look at the notation.

**Medical Alert:** Subject has been dosed/used/been exposed to the narcotic 'Red Sand', and as such, is to never be administered any form of a class IV narcotic, or higher. The resulting complication could result in seizures, coma, or death. Steps should be taken to prevent at all costs. Subject has been cleared in the use of medi-gel as per an intensive screening.

"I will never understand why you never read the medical warnings. You could have just killed this poor soul." the doctor snarled, tightening down the restraints on the young Marine's wrists and ankles before she hung up a drip bag of anti-seizure medication.

"With all due respect _Ma'am_, it's not my fault if some idiot made poor life decisions and did drugs. I'm sorry he might die, but you know that if he does, then so much the better. The Alliance is better off without them." the technician said, turning to leave, but before he could, he found himself locked in a stasis field, with an irate Asari in his face.

"For your information... I've been dealing with Red Sand users longer then your people have been using the Mass Effect technologya lot longer then you have _child. _So I can tell when someone uses by choice, or is forced. This poor soul is the latter, NOT the former. Next time, READ THE FILE and do not make this mistake again. I have never lost a patient in the seven hundred years I've been performing medicine and I will NOT lose one today because of you." the doctor drew in a long breathe to calm herself, catching sight of another technician that had entered the room, "And what the Goddess do you want?"

The new technician simply stared, shocked and somewhat nervous, as she didn't want to increase the Asari's anger, "Um... there's an issue with one of the Biotics ma'am. She's not implemented."

The doctor's anger vanished, "Imposable... At this age?" she asked, letting the male technician go from the stasis field.

"Here is her file ma'am." the technician said, handing the doctor a datapad, upon which she took.

The doctor quick read over the datapad, but that only created more questions and provided no answers, much like the now unconscious cadet laying in the bed next to her. Sighing, she turned her attention back to the technician now on her shit list, "You'll keep me apprised of his condition every half hour, on the half hour. Understood?"

The technician simply nodded.

Glaring for another moment longer, she left the room without saying another word.

"What you do to piss her off ?" the female technician asked.

"No idea."

(")( " )(")

Kitrina was, at first, surprised by the aliens at the Alliance training facility, but it wasn't to stay the only surprise as they arrived at the medical facility. After they had stopped by the barracks to drop off their belongings, they immediately headed for the large, sprawling , one story building that she, and the rest of the Biotics, gawked at.

_This is so not Alliance standards. _She thought as they stepped inside. The facility was gleaming white from wall to wall, floor to ceiling and polished until it was just shy of being a mirror. All the personnel were clad in white lab coats, not all being human as a good chunk of those that passed in the hallway were Asari. Kitrina knew why there were so many Asari, as they were the premiere Biotics, not just with their skills in combat, but their craftsmanship at producing implants that humans used to help control their power as well.

Her amazement was shattered when an Asari, in a bright white lab coat, walked up to them and halted their progress further into the building.

"Greetings my fellow Biotics..." she was interrupted.

"Hey... Your an Asari." someone shouted from the back of the group.

The Asari's face flattened into something that appeared to be annoyance, "My my, you're an observant one." she said, waiting for the chuckles to die down before continuing, "As we have established, I am an Asari. I was brought in by the good commander to not only judge your abilities, but to help with the upgrade of your current implants. I will also be monitoring your progress and development to help the instructors with your training. Now, if there are any questions, feel free to ask them now."

"What upgrades?" another cadet asked, a couple rows back from where Kitrina stood. It was a question she was thinking of as well.

"The L3X implant of course . What? You don't think we'd leave those pesky L1s, or Goddess forbid, that problematic L2 in there did you?" one of the Asari's tattooed eye ridges popped up.

The silence that settled over the room was deafening, at least for Kitrina it did. For years the Alliance personnel were told that the implants were permanent. The L2s lived with that constant fear that they would "snap" and the L3s, they had to come to terms that they were to always remain in the shadows of their more powerful L2 counterparts.

For Kitrina however, there was something eating away at the back of her mind, as when upgraded was mentioned, she had to wonder what the medical staff would do once they got to her and found out.

"Wait... How is that possible? We were always told that the implantation was a one time thing. Once you got one that was it." another cadet said, standing next to Kitrina.

The Doctor shook her head, "Well, in a way, it is. To upgrade an implant, it would take the Biotic off the roster so to speak, and cost a great deal of credits. But for you, the selected few the Alliance is willing to spend the credits and time on to make that happen, it's within your reach," she lightly clasped her hands behind her back.

"Why would the Asari even need to know how to perform an implantation? I mean, aren't all Asari natural Biotics?" someone asked from the back of the group.

"We are, but every now and again, birth defects happen. Though it's not comment, probably one in ten million, it dose happen from time to time." After a quick glance around the room the Doctor clapped her hands, "Alright... Everyone report to a bed and follow the directions of the techs."

Kitrina quickly found an empty bed and sat, lightly gnawing on her lip as she fell into her own thoughts. _I don't have an implant. There's nothing there to upgrade. _She thought, over and over until they were interrupted by the medical technician entered, looking at a datapad.

"Wolff, Kitrina Aurora, 5924-SC-2547?" the technician read from the datapad.

"Yes ma'am." Kitrina nodded.

"First off, you can drop the ma'am. I'm enlisted... Second, it says here you don't have an implant of any kind. Is this true?" the technician asked, her brows lightly crinkling as she looked up at Kitrina.

Nervous, Kitrina shifted a bit on the bed, "Um... no. I mean... yes it's true. I don't have an implant. Is that gonna be a problem?" her stomach rolled with more nerves.

The technician looked over her medical record once more, "I'll be right back." she mumbled as turned and left.

After a few moments, the technician returned with the Chief Medical Officer in tow, and handed the datapad to her so she could see for herself. Again, after a few moments, the Asari looked towards Kitrina with a furrowed brow.

"Let me get this straight... You don't, now, or have ever had a Biotic implant?" she asked, disbelieving what she was reading.

"No ma'am" Kitrina said, shaking her head.

"So you do have an implant?"

Kitrina's own brows furrowed with a bit of confusion, "No ma'am. I do _not_ have an implant." she briefly glanced up at the pair, but nearly immediately went back to looking at her feet.

Now it was the doctor's turn to be confused, "Then how do you control the Eezo nodes in your system? How do you keep your flares under control?"

Kitrina picked at her trouser seam, "My parents found an Asari that helped me learn how to manage them through meditation and discipline. It took a lot of time and practice, but I was able to prevent public outbursts." again, she glanced up from her feet, to the medical staff.

The doctor was staring at Kitrina, not even trying to hide her shock, "That is most impressive young lady. I would be most interested in the name of this Asari that trained you."

Kitrina was a bit taken back the request, and the look on the doctor's face was as unreadable to her as ever, "Um.. I don't see why not. Her name is Matron Arira Ze'than. You can find her on Terra Nova. She has a small shop in the Great Mall there." she began to lightly gnaw on her lip once more.

The Doctor's face shifted to open, gapping shock. If this Matron Arira Ze'than was really Matriarch Arira Ze'than, which she was certain she was, then she was not only alive, but on a human colony world. She would have to tell the Council of Matriarchs as soon as she could, but why she would hide from her own people was a mystery, let alone why would she spend her final years with the humans.

However, she would have to find her answers at another time, when she wasn't faced with the prospect of having to do a full implantation.

Drawing in a deep breath to compose herself, she finally willed herself to talk, "I... appreciate you giving me her name. I look forward to have a long conversation with her on the techniques she taught you. But... on to the focus of this conversation, you've never had an implant before, so your procedure will take longer then the rest. You might not be able to graduate with the class you arrived with I'm afraid. That is, of course, if we're allowed to perform the procedure at all. We're only set up to upgrade and re-tune existing implants, not perform the complete implantation of a new system." the doctor said, lowering the datapad and grasping her wrist in front of her.

Kitrina's eyes widened. _Not graduate? Get sent away? But... I wanna graduate with Hew. _She started to panic, but the doctor must have seen it.

"I'll talk to the Commander and get his approval. You need not worry. I'll do everything I can to make sure you get your implant and, hopefully, keep you in the same group." she said, lessening Kitrina's worry greatly, but not totally dissipating it.

"Thank you ma'am." Kitrina's lips ghosted a smile.

"Don't mention it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk with the Commander." she turned to leave the room, but stopped just short of the door, "Start all the prep work. I want to be ready to proceed the moment we get approval."

"Yes ma'am." the technician nodded once.

As the Doctor left the medical facility, she continued looking at the datapad, studying the file in greater far detail. As she read, noticed a small notation that caused her to stop dead in her tracks, right in the middle of the hallway.

If Biotic Implantation is to occur on Wolff, Kitrina Aurora, 5924-SC-2547, you're directed to contact Matriarch Arira Ze'than at .Ze'than225874669.445852796568 for implantation procedure by order of Alliance Officer Wolff, Darien, 6278-CC-8546, Alliance Officer Wolff, Hannah, 9158-SC-86452, Alliance Admiral Hackett, Steven, 8642-IC-25894, and CMO Cortez, Melfly, 5648-BC-6521. This order is authorized by Alliance Naval Command (Authorization: 888-Uniform-Uniform-Foxtrot-558942) and Alliance Medical Command (Authorization: 552369-Bravo-Juliet-XRay-225874) and should be treated as such to be carried out upon determination that implantation is either required for safety/health/well being, or chosen by the individual stated in the order. Overwatch Authorization code: 2173-Alpha-Zulu-Golf-56914785.

After reading the rather large notation, the doctor could simply stare._ What is this girl? _She thought as she quickly resumed her pace to the Commander's office. _I wonder how the Commander will react to this?_

The conversation with both the ANC and AMC took a considerable amount of time from having to explain that the girl was not only not implemented, but able to control her Biotics without it. At first, the men didn't believe her, but after showing them the notation in the girl's medical file, they glanced at each other, both with shock written across their faces.

It took even more time to get the proper confirmation on all three orders, as well as confirming all three authorization codes, but once it was all finally done, they still didn't feel like the curveballs were going to stop coming.

"Lovely... Now I have to get this specialist out here." the commander groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Go ahead and get her prepared while I get the paperwork pushed through doctor. I'll let you know once everything is squared away."

"How long will it take for the Matriarch to arrive?" she asked, clasping her hands behind her back.

The commander started to grin, "That would be telling Doctor."

The doctor returned the grin and slowly shook her head, "Understood Commander."

As the doctor headed for the door, the commander's voice stopped her just before she opened the door. "Also Doctor... Do I have to remind you of the Non Disclosure agreement you signed in order to come here?" his voice seemed harsh.

The doctor didn't bother to look back at the human man, "No... Commander... You do not." she said as the door closed behind her, a slowly, somewhat nervous sigh leaving her lungs as she headed back towards the girl's room. _On the bright side, I'll get to talk with the Matriarch sooner, rather then later. This is going to be interesting. _

(")( " )(")

Hew was walking up a familiar hallway, one he had walked up it for years, over and over again for many different reasons. It was run down, the disintegrating wallpaper peeling off everywhere you looked and the floor, actually being made of wood, creaked with every step he took. The building, being one of the last remnants of the old city, had long since been claimed by the Tenth Street Reds, one of the most brutal, ruthless and feared gangs that called the streets of New York, home. They had one of the longest criminal histories the authorities had ever seen, including enough counts of murder, rape and drug dealing to fill a warehouse worth of files and paperwork from the crimes. They were truly, not to be tangoed with.

As Hew drew to the end of the hallway, a skinny little kid stood in his way, standing his post with a large handgun at his side in front of the very door be needed to get through.

"Out of the way Newt. I need to talk to Sledge." Hew said, his voice rough and gravelly from living his entire life in the polluted, filthy slums of the old city.

The kid known as Newt, shuffled from foot to foot. Being Sledge's runner had its perks, and offered plenty of protection, but everyone was scared of Vergil. Vergil was Sledge's enforcer, the very right hand of the devil himself should he set his sights on you. He was ruthless, fearless, having no qualms thrusting a pipe through someone's groin, or slicing them open with the very long, very sharp and very deadly knife he always carried. Vergil was what the Tenth Street Reds called Hew Shepard.

"Um... hey...Vergil... Uh... Sledge says he doesn't wanna be disturbed." Newt stuttered, his nerves obvious in not just his body language, but his facial expressions.

Hew huffed a light laugh and slowly shook his head, "Man was disturbed a long time a go kid. Out of the way." he said again, towering over the kid standing guard.

Newt couldn't hide his growing fear, "I'm sorry Vergil, he's busy. No interruptions. That's what he said. I gotta follow them." the kid visibly gulped.

_Oh for the love of_... Hew ran his hand down his face, " Listen Newt... I just spent the better part of a day fixing his problems. I'm tired, hungry and more then a little pissed off. I need to give Sledge his shit, so I can get some sleep. So... one of two things are gonna happen. One... I'm going through that door and talking to Sledge. Or two... your going to through it first and I'm still going to talk to Sledge. I have no issues with you, so I'll be a good guy and let you pick." his eyes narrowed.

The color literally drained from Newt's face, and gulped again as the rumors of just how Vergil worked started running through his head. Everyone had heard the rumors, but he really didn't want to be the door knocker. However, knowing that Sledge would be supremely pissed off he just let his enforcer in, so straightened his posture, and looked up into Vergil's eyes.

"I need to take a piss ok? Don't go in." Newt groaned as he walked off, leaving the door unaccompanied.

Hew couldn't blame the kid, not really. He had to do as he was told, or Sledge would beat him within an inch of his life. For a little guy, he sure knew how to cover his own ass from taking that beating, so stepping into the now vacant doorway, he knocked.

"I said no interruptions Newt!" came a gruff voice from the other side of the door.

"Not Newt, Sledge." Hew said, resting his elbow against the door frame.

"Fuck... What the Hell do you want Vergil? I'm busy! Come back later!" Sledge bellowed.

"Not gonna happen Sledge. I've been running all over the slums for the last day fixing and collecting shit that you said had to be done right away. I'm gonna either hand you this crap, or leave it right here outside your door and you can hope no one fucks with it." Hew threatened, shrugging lightly as he rolled his right shoulder from stiffness that developed from sleeping on a hard floor for years.

"Goddammit Vergil! You know, if you weren't so fucking useful, I would've killed you years ago!" Sledge snarled as he opened the door.

Without even looking up at the taller Hew, Sledge reached out and grabbed the bag from Hew's hands, "Give me that... Now get the fuck outta here. I'm busy." he made to shut the door.

Hew lightly groaned, as he had to put up with a lot of shit from the higher ups, but Sledge has never tried that hard to get rid of him. What also struck Hew as odd, was that Sledge always counted his take in front of him, if at all to make sure he didn't take anything. He wasn't looking like he was going to count it.

"Ok man... What the Hell you up to where you have no time to COUNT YOUR MONEY?" Hew raised his voice, both hands firmly gripping the door frame as he leaned in a bit to get his point across.

It was very evident that Sledge was getting pissed, his forehead severely crinkling with anger and his grip tightening on his take.

"I. Said. Fuck. OFF!" Sledge all but growled, but just then, something else made it through the noise.

"...elp... Someone... Please he.." the last part was muffled, but Hew heard it.

Brows drawing down to halfway cover his vividly blue eyes, Hew stared at Sledge with growing, Hellish anger.

"What the Hell was that Sledge?" Hew asked, leaning towards Sledge a bit more for intimidation sake.

"NOTHING!" Sledge yelled, sniffling strongly as he had very recently partaken in the consumption of some illicit substances.

"Fuck nothing... What the Hell you doing Sledge?" Hew's voice was rising in volume once more, as was his anger.

"I said fuck off! Last chance Vergil." Sledge sneered, setting aside his take and staring down Hew like he was trying to scare him off. It wasn't working.

Hew knew something was off, that was obvious, but not wanting to invoke Sledge's all too violent wrath, he was about to leave, but when he heard a shrill scream coming from inside the room, it clicked at just what was going on.

"You don't wanna be doing this man... Walk away." Sledge said, his voice low and threatening, laced with a snarl that would scare most police.

"I have two rules Sledge... Two fucking rules! No women, and no rape!" Hew said, his hand slowly drifting to the small of his back to rest on the hilt of that very large, very deadly knife.

"What you gonna do Vergil? Kill me? It's not just me in here you know. You willing to take us all on? Think you can?" Sledge said, running his tongue along his lips like as another terrified scream seeped from somewhere in the back.

"Well... Since you put it like that..."

Before Sledge even had a chance, Hew moved, faster then the eye could follow as his knife cleared its sheath and slit Sledge's throat without even getting caught on the flesh. Ignoring the blood that now covered him, he moved farther into the old apartment, passing empty rooms as he made his way to the shit hole of a master bedroom where he found Sledge's two second in commands.

The state of the room was not what drew Hew's attention, the tossed clothes, the demolished drug paraphernalia and neat little lines of Red Sand resting on a dirty glass topped coffee table, it was what was strapped to the bed.

A blonde woman, girl really, was bruised, beaten, bloody, and completely nude, her blue eyes swollen and red from constant crying and her pale skin had been ravaged by blows from fists and open hands with more hickeys then Hew could count covering her breasts and thighs. She had slammed her legs closed the moment he entered the room, drawing the attention of the other two away from her to give her a much needed reprieve from her torture, but she was unable to move away, as her wrists had been tied to the tarnished bedposts. It was clear what had been happening to her, and it only fueled Hew's raging, unyielding anger.

"What the fuck Vergil! Why you covered in blood?" the man on the left, closest to the drugs yelped, staring in shock at the Hew's bloodied form.

"Where the Hell is Sledge? Are we under attack?" the other man asked, mirroring the same expression as the other.

Hew's lips pulled into a sinister grin, "You could say that." he said, tightening his grip on the knife in full view of the other two, and the terrified woman.

However, before the two men could move from where they stood, Hew was on them, the man to his right being the second to taste his steel as the other simply stood, frozen in shock and fear as Hew's knife opened his partner's torso, exposing exactly what he was made of. His strikes were fast and precise, years of practice and actuality using his skills have imbedded an incredible amount of memory into his very muscles, each one being deliberate and no stroke, or swipe was wasted. He didn't even notice how his blade slid easily through the man's sternum, across his throat and out the side of his neck, spraying unending plumes of arterial spray across the walls, furniture and floor.

The moment the man on the right was nearly disemboweled in no more then three stokes, the man to the left stood no better chance, especially since he was naked, and his own weapons were on the other side of the room, covered in blood.

"You don't wanna do this man! You won't get away with it! The Reds'll hunt you down and kill you man! If you let me go, I'll talk on your behalf! Keep you from getting killed! Come on man! Don't kill me!" the man begged, his hands up in defense and not even paying attention to the fact that he had zero clothes, let alone armor on to do anything for him.

Hew paused, knife at the ready, "You really think I'll stand a chance before the Triumvirate? I killed Sledge, and Tracks! What the Hell can you say that'll get me anything but killed?" he asked, eyes screaming with a fierce, predatory stare that only a hungry animal possessed when about to makes its kill.

Before the man could even try to respond, Hew buried his knife in the man's skull, up to its hilt and the point sticking out from the back of his head, at the base of his skull.

With the two men dead, Hew advanced toward the bed, causing the woman to begin crying harder, screaming to be saved and struggling against her restraints, however futile it may be. Oddly enough however, the only thing he saw was a pair of brilliant blue eyes staring up at him, her fear drowning him and it made him hesitate, as he slowly removed his shirt, ignoring her harder, petrified weeping.

"It's not what you think. I'm getting you out of here." Hew said quietly, moving slowly as he gently placed his shirt over her, to cover her up.

After placing his shirt on her, he started to cut away the bindings from her wrists, but as soon as the binding were cut, the women spoke.

"W-Why... are you... h-helping me?" she sobbed, tucking the shirt tightly around her and curling into a tight, protective ball.

Hew found he had no real answer for her, as he had always done things that put the gang first, but he just throw that all away for some stranger, and he didn't know why. He didn't know why their act inflamed his anger like it had. He didn't know why he was suddenly, after years upon years of killing, assaulting and stealing, driven to protect. Driven to save someone he had never met before. He just didn't know, and now, covered in three different people's blood, and trying to help a scared young woman, he was nothing short of utterly, ultimately confused.

"I-I... I really don't know. Can you walk?" he asked, doing the best he could to ignore the pounding in his chest from his heart.

The woman whipped her eyes with the sleeve of her gifted shirt, "I... I don't think so." she wept, unable to look her rescuer in the eyes.

"It's ok. I'm gonna carry you." he said lowly, slowly reaching out for her, but as his hands ever so softly touch her, she flinched, "Look... I know you really don't want to be touched right now, especially by me, but we really have to move. I just want to get you out of here." he said, softening his expression in hopes of easing her fear.

"W-Where are you gonna take me?" the woman asked, her shaking starting to make itself known.

"Hopefully... some place safe." Hew said.

After a few moments, the scared woman nodded, allowing Hew to lift her and whisk her away. He cradled her to him as he ran, knowing how far it was to where he needed to go, but unfortunately, that was all in straight lines, and that was not what he wanted at the moment.

Word of what he had done spread faster then even he thought possible, and he figured Newt as the source, but that didn't matter, not in his head as he needed to put distance between him and the Reds as fast as he could. The best way he thought to do this, was to go up stairs, over roofs, down fire escapes, and any other elevation change he could think of along his way. But as he ran, keeping a firm grasp on the scared, shaking woman, he found it ironic that the very tricks he used to escape the local law enforcement, were helping him escape the Reds.

With shots from the illegally obtained guns the Reds had gathered, he ran, ignoring the pain in his back, legs and arms from carrying more weight then usual, and dodging rounds like he had made a living avoiding authorities, whether legitimate or gang related. _Just a few more miles... Keep going, keep running. _Hew's mantra echoed through his head as he swiftly descended down a fire escape that was in disrepair, cutting his tricep in one painful swipe on a jagged, broken railing. He knew that if he fell, succumbing to the pain, not knowing if he had been shot, or if he was just that out of energy reserves, he would never get back up, and the girl in his arms would never see the light of day, being used for the Reds' pleasure until she just... let her life slip away.

As he drew close to where he knew he wanted to be, he heard shouting, but the Reds never shouted, only the checkpoint guards did. When the bright light hit his eyes, Hew stumbled for the first time. Never had he felt relief when the police took the girl from his arms, seeing her be whisked away as he lay on the ground, desperately sucking wheezing breath after wheezing breath into his pained lungs, but all that went a way when he felt a sudden pain at the base of his skull, turning everything black, and he didn't care. For the first time, he just didn't care.

(")( " )(")

"Jesus... Would you look at that." the male technician said, pointing at a monitor that had been hooked up to the unconscious Marine he now needed to keep an eye on.

The female technician looked on monitor and shrugged, " What?"

"This guy's brain scans... Those are some active lines. And check out his bio rhythms. I've seen these before." he said, entering a few notations into his datapad for his bi-hourly reports to the doctor.

"Is he seizing? Do I need to call the Doc?" the female technician asked, worried for the Marine's well being.

"No, I don't think he's seizing, but that is familiar." scratching his chin, he racked his brain, but he couldn't place it. That was until it hit him like a stampeding Elcor, "I remember now! I did this rotation in the VA hospitals. You remember... right after the First Contact War all the Vets got sent there. Well, this happened a lot then. they were reliving repressed memories." he said, smiling a bit as he was satisfied that he remembered.

"Are you telling me a nineteen year old has PTSD?" she asked, disbelieving.

"No... I'm just saying where I've seen this before is all." he said, entering another notation.

"So I don't need to call the doctor?"

"I don't think so... See? Everything is returning to normal." he smiled, pleased that things weren't serious.

"Good... I really don't wanna call the doctor. She's been a bit off and I really don't want to piss her off." the female technician mumbled.

However, when the monitor that had been hooked up started whirring its alarm, she knew she was most likely about to go call the doctor.

"Um... You might wanna call her." the male technician sighed.

She simple groaned, "What happened?"

"He just went into a coma."

(")( " )(")

Kitrina was starting to get worried as she was placed in an isolation room, hooked up to all sorts of monitors that displayed bouncing lines of various signatures and vitals. Four days ago, she had been placed in that room where she sat, hardly having any contact with anyone other then the medical personnel, and her worry for Hew was only growing. She had a nagging, persistent feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her something was amiss, but she couldn't anything to sate that feeling, as she hadn't been let out of the room, not even to eat.

Four days of having her meals being to her, strictly monitored and portioned specifically for a Biotic, but ever since Hew had accepted her for what she is, for who she is, she didn't have a problem snarfing down enough food to feed Hew multiple times. By now, she had gotten used to the isolation, so when the door shattered the silence throughout her room, she jumped in surprise, but quickly realized whom had entered.

"Matron Arira! What are you doing here?"

Arira smiled at the greeting, "Oh how good manners seem to flee in the presence of surprise." the light smile on her face easing the rebuke.

Kitrina immediately caught her mild mistake, "I'm sorry Matron Arira. Your presence is a surprise." she took a deep breath to calm herself, "Greetings Matron... How was your journey?" she asked far more politely this time.

Arira's face broke into a great smile as she strode forward and encircled Kitrina in a warm embrace, "My journey was well worth the distance just to see you again my dear."

Kitrina relaxed into the hug, "You traveled all the way here to _see_ me?" she sounded shocked, confused even.

"I am afraid not just to see you my dear child. I have come to assist the Alliance and Asari medical personnel in your implantation." she admitted, releasing her hold on young girl.

Kitrina looked up at her long time friend and mentor, her eyes narrowing slightly in more confusion, "W-What? Why? I mean... no offense, but I always thought you were a craftswoman. What would you know of Biotic amplifier implantations?" she asked, cringing as she listened to herself talk, and knowing how it must have sounded.

Arira took a deep breath and sighed, "Well... To explain that, I will have to reveal some things about your past that are unknown to you." before Kitrina could interrupt however, she raised her hand to silence her, "I already have your parents permission to divulge all I believe is necessary to help you understand, but knowing where to start is the hardest," she sucked in a long breath that sounded nervous, "Kitrina... You are not seventeen years old... You are actually eighteen and a half."

Kitrina simply stared, mouth agape with shock as she tried to comprehend what her long time mentor had just said. How could she not be seventeen? How could a full year and a half simply vanish from her life without her even knowing? She could remember things from her childhood that most people would have forgotten, but a year and half she simply couldn't remember seemed far fetched.

Forcing back her shock so she could simply speak, she took a step back from Arira, her eyes screaming with hurt, "How can that be? I mean... I remember school, and time with my family, but where would eighteen months go?" she asked, her voice starting to shake.

Arira tried to smile, "To be fair to your parents, you started your education later then most of your race would have. This is due to your slower development."

"What do you mean 'slower development'?" Kitrina's fear grew as her eyes began to shine from the lights above, shimmering with unshed tears.

Arira immediately felt a pang of guilt in her stomach, "Though this sounds as if it is a negative thing, it is not. You developed slower because of your unique exposure to Eezo."

"What do you mean? I was exposed inuterto. How is that unique?" Kitrina asked, her voice cracking with the accompanied anger to her already seated sorrow and shock.

Arira reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Kitrina's shoulder, "That my child is not entirely true. Your mother was exposed to low levels for the entirety of your eighteen month gestation."

Kitrina reeled, "Eighteen months! That's not right. How is that possible.?" she demanded, taking her shoulder away from Arira's grasp as she took another step back.

"In this case, it is. The exposure slowed your development in the womb. As I understand it, your mother did not even know she was with child until she was notified at nearly eight months pregnant. You see... the anomalies that were presented on your mother's test results were all thought to have come from working on the new Eezo core she was assigned to. The only reason they performed the ultrasound at all was due to stomach issues she was complain about at the time. You can imagine the surprise of all involved when you showed up on the screen." she said, trying to judge Kitrina's state of mind, but clearly seeing the hurt, anger, confusion and uncertain all written across her face.

Forcing herself to take a breath, Kitrina halted her backwards steps, closing her eyes for a moment to collect herself before she did anything that would she would regret later. She trusted Arira, as much as she trusted Hew and her own parents and she knew that she wouldn't lie to her, keep a secret maybe, but all out lie was just not in her nature.

"What happened next?" Kitrina asked, blinking the building tears away.

"Upon your birth, you were small and frail, weak and in real danger, but if not for my presence, you might not have made it through the night." Arira said, standing up just a hair straighter.

Kitrina's brows furrowed a bit harder, "Wait... You were there when I was born?"

"Yes child. Your parents were stationed near Asari space and I was a visiting dignitary." Arira admitted, glancing at the Asari doctor for a moment.

"A dignitary? I didn't know Matrons were in positions like that." Kitrina was getting more confused by the minute.

"I was not a Matron child... I was a Matriarch, as I am now." Arira said, sounding almost ashamed at having kept such a secret from Kitrina.

"What!" Kitrina couldn't stop herself from getting angry.

"I know this is a shock Kitrina, but please... I beg you... Let me finish." she pleaded, her own guilt spreading through her.

This time Kitrina didn't care if she was being rude, "You lied to me! For ten years you lied to me! Was anything you ever told me true? All that time we spent together was that just a way for you to study me wasn't it! So you could study a _freak_?" Kitrina couldn't help but call herself that and it hurt more then she would ever realize. _I'm a freak... They were right. They were all right. _The tears returned.

Matriarch Arira Ze'than, was horrified, "No! That is not true! I do not know where your thoughts are, but you have to believe me when I say you are no freak child. You are a gift to not only your parents, but myself and young Shepard as well." she quickly defended, taking a half step towards the crying Kitrina.

However, when Kitrina heard Shepard's name, she seemed to realize that her tirade was entirely and completely wrong. _Hew... She's right. He doesn't care about all that. He's the only one who's ever accepted me for what... no... for who I am. _She thought as she whipped her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Why would you all keep this from me? Why wait until now to tell me this? If not for the implantation, would I have ever been told?" Kitrina asked, now trying to hide her hurt.

"It was for the best, or so we thought. Your parents wanted you to have a childhood, a life free of this knowledge. I agreed. They then asked for my help if it was ever needed and I quickly agreed to that as well." Matriarch Arira said, drawing in a deep breath as well.

Still trying to digest all that was being, there was still one question that plagued at her, one that she was afraid to ask.

"You said that if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have survived my first night after I was born. Why?" she dared, rubbing her upper arm from not just nerves, but the chill in the air.

Another deep breath, "That is a question I hoped you ask, but never thought you would. The reason I was the only one who could help you, was due to the fact that I was the only Asari on hand. Due to the unique nature of your gestation and Eezo exposure, your very physiology was too different for the on hand medical personnel to understand." Arira said, trying to look Kitrina in the eyes, but finding that it was actually difficult.

"How?" Kitrina asked simply.

"To simplify it, your birth was more Asari then human. Your eighteen month gestation was just one thing more Asari then human, as that is how long we are with child for." Arira said, preferring to look at the floor, then at her charge.

"I don't understand? Am I human, Asari, or something else?" Kitrina was beginning to feel sick to her stomach with uncertainty.

Arira managed a weak laugh, "You are quite human my dear, just a very special human. The nature I was trying to explain was the fact that you needed a Biotic to help you survive. As I understand it, most human babies will cry when they take their first breaths, you my dear, flared. I was needed to help contain your Biotics before you caused real damage to your surroundings."

Kitrina's eyes widened, "I what?"

"You had a flare my child. The human doctors did not know how to deal with that, as it usually only happens when an Asari child is born. The mother will usually be the one to bring the flare under control and this in and of itself, forms a bond, much the same as breast feeding in humans."

"So... All those times you called my 'child'?" Kitrina asked, finally beginning to understand.

"Yes... I fell as responsible for you as your own mother does." Arira's smile grew slightly.

"So does that make me your daughter?" Kitrina asked, her anger finally dissipating.

"In a sense, it does. Not a biological one, but a daughter none the less."

Though it was hard to swallow in one sitting, Kitrina was glad she finally knew, but knowing began to plop various pieces into place. She now understood how her parents found an Asari willing to help her with her Biotics, and how they seemed at ease around what was a perfect stranger. She wasn't one. It all brought everything into focus, and she happy to know late, rather then never.

"I thank you for telling me all this, but I have to ask... What does this have to do with you being here?" the question seemed silly now.

Arira huffed a laugh, "Well... I am here to not only provide the implant you will be given, but to perform with the procedure."

"You are?" Kitrina smiled.

"Yes. I am a doctor after all." Arira said, stepping up to the young woman standing in front of her.

"What kind of doctor?" Kitrina asked, the previous feelings gone.

The curiosity in Kitrina's voice made the Matriarch laugh a bit, "Oh... You know... The important ones."

Kitrina provided her own laugh, "That's reassuring." she grinned.

"Have a little faith child. I do know what I am doing." she laughed, "Now... You just relax and let 'Matron' Arira help you excel at whatever it is you set your mind to."

Finally able to relax, Kitrina fell back into the familiar conversations she had missed, all but the one she wanted most, but she knew that that would have to wait. Her smile stayed in place as she hopped back up onto her bed, Arira snapping on a pair of gloves as she stuck a set of needles into her arm for the rather scary amount of drugs that were to be pumped into her system.

After a few moments, she began to drift off to sleep as Matriarch Arira Ze'than was able to finally start what she was brought there to do.

(")( " )(")

**Three Weeks Later**

Hew's head hurt like Hell, almost as bad as the morning after a three week bender he went on when he was fourteen, and it didn't help that his body was only adding to his miserable existence. Everything hurt. His head, his body, and every time he moved his eyes underneath his closed eyelids, his stomach wanted to claw its way out of his mouth and slap him in the face.

"Good morning Cadet Shepard. Glade you are awake." a feminine voice said through his painful darkness.

"Why?" he asked, unfortunately coming out as more of an disgruntled groan from his sore, dry throat.

"Shh... Don't try to talk. You've had a reaction to the medication you were given. Fortunately, we were able to perform the gene mods and implantation of the synthetic glands without pause, but you might be a bit sore for a bit. You have three more weeks or recovery left, at which time you will be reevaluated and sent on your way." the voice said quietly, which Shepard was grateful for.

"Uh huh." was all he could say before he fell back to sleep, having never opened his eyes.

Sighing from the young man's ordeal, the doctor could not believe what he had just gone through. The coma he had slipped into was brief, but long enough to perform everything required to get him up to the Alliance's specifications for his upcoming training. It was until after the seizures started that they had to restrain him, resulting in some torn muscles in his back and arm, but thank Heaven above, the seizures stopped once the meds had cleared his system.

On the other side of the facility, Kitrina also had a brief moment of consciousness, barely opening her eyes to see that instead of bed she was laying, she was elegantly suspended in a generated Mass Effect field, holding her gently above the floor.

Barely able to move, she caught the briefest of sights of Matriarch Arira, her lips moving as if she was speaking, but Kitrina couldn't make anything out, before she was pulled back into a deep slumber. All explanations would have to wait, as those would come in due time.


	9. Chapter 9: New FrontiersNew Beginnings

(Disclaimer: I do not own anything Bio Ware related, but with my ability to maintain a release schedule, I do resemble a game dev don't I, huh?)

(A/N: Sorry this took so long guys/gals. I have no excuse and am sorry for making you wait for my updates. This chapter was hard for me to write as I really had no idea what I was doing and relayed heavily on my Beta/ Co-Author. If this is a success I have her to thank. If I failed then I messed up. Hope you enjoy what I have written as much as I enjoyed writing it.)

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: New Frontiers... New Beginnings<p>

Rehab was... well... rehab, and the last six weeks was comprised of nothing but.

Who would have thought that relearning how to walk and control your newly developed strength would be so hard. It was like having to learn what your legs were for, like you were an infant again just trying to earn your mother's approval by standing on your own without having to hold onto anything. Your legs were strangers, unknown to the rest of your body, but pick up a glass without watching how tightly your hand was gripping it, and all of a sudden, glass blanketed your lap.

The overall sensation, itself, was simply weird. You felt twice as fast, twice as strong, but at the same time, you were a third as heavy. The denser bones and thicker muscle took some getting used to, evident by many a broken glass, and the boosted metabolism, thanks to needing much more food, was an issue that non-Biotics soon came to term with. Not only were things heavier, stronger and hungrier, any injuries sustained, whether during the rehabilitation process or otherwise, were healed twice as fast. No one seemed to be complaining about that one.

After the long six weeks of weightlifting, swimming, practicing lifting delicate things without breaking them, and eating, the cadets were finally moved into the first stage of training. The Sentinels were taken to enhance the Biotic side of their skill set, learning to control the fields they naturally produced by mainly suspending large and heavy objects in midair for extended periods of time. Meanwhile for the Infiltrators and Vanguards, the Biotics' whose bio-electric fields affected electronics negatively, it was the combat aspect of their training, becoming intimately familiar with their weapons and learning how to put their round exactly where they wanted it. This was the part that Hew enjoyed.

Hew was excited about the combat training. It was similar to the stuff they had learned in boot camp, with the exception that the instructors were not all human, but the best part was the fact that they actually got to break for chow and he got to have his meal with Kitrina.

After a week, he noticed that Kitrina seemed more interested in a datapad she had with her, that seemed to be glued to her hands. She kept reading it whenever she had a spare minute, but that seemed to be all the time, and he had to actually push for her to talk to him. The weirdest thing however, was that she wouldn't tell him what was on the thing, no matter how many times he asked and even that was usually just passed over. Hell... She barely even talked about the Biotic training. The only reason he knew anything about what was going on, was the fact that he talked to other Biotics, much to the disappointment of his fellow non-Biotic cadets.

Now, sitting and patiently awaiting Kitrina's arrival, Hew quietly ate and read, mildly oblivious to the other cadets around him when one second he was alone, and the next, someone was next to him.

"This seat taken?" the new arrival asked.

At the subtle question, Hew looked up from his datapad with the _Wilderness Tactics and Survival: Jungle Edition_ displayed on it to finally notice the cadet standing next to him with a tray of food and a blank expression.

"Nope." Hew simply muttered as he turned his attention back to the datapad and his meal.

"So... She's not here yet?" the cadet asked as he sat down.

"Who?" Hew didn't look up.

"Oh... I don't know... The pretty little brunette that you eat lunch with every time we get a warm meal." the cadet said with a hint of condescending.

Catching the tone, Hew set the datapad down and looked at his company, "What do you want Leng?" he asked flatly.

"Just to sit and talk man... Just looking to shoot the shit is all." he defended with a light shrug.

"Really? You and I have nothing in common. What could we actually talk about?" Hew asked, but looked back to his datapad with the small hope that Leng would get the hint and leave.

Leng shrugged, "I don't know... How about why you're trying to get your Biotic qual? We can start there." he huffed.

Again, Hew looked away from the datapad with an arced eyebrow, "My what?"

"Your Biotic qual. Everyone on the combat side is trying for theirs, but most won't give us the time of day. You however, got in somehow. Give a brother a clue man." Cadet Leng said, smirking as he spoke.

Hew's eyes narrowed, "I have no idea what you're talking about Leng. Quite beating around the damn bush."

"What are you talking... Oh my God! You actually like spending time with the Biotic fre..." that was all Leng was able to get out before the dark stare from Hew shut him up.

"Careful how you finish that sentence Leng. We might be in the same class, but I will break you if you finish that last word." Hew said without waiting for Leng to reply as he picked up his tray and moved to another table dominated by Biotics.

At first, the Biotics could only stare in surprise as they were all of a suddenly joined by a non-Biotic, which was a rarity all in itself since no one made it a point to sit with them, not even at their old duty stations.

"Mind if I sit here? The ignorance at my previous table was about to make me lose my appetite." Hew smirked as he didn't wait for an answer and sat.

"Um... Sure... I guess." the closest Biotic, a redheaded Russian named Afon, stuttered.

It took a moment for the lot to realize that their newcomer wasn't just some stranger looking for a change of scenery, it was the non-Biotic that Cadet Wolff was always talking to. In all honesty, most just figured that Kitrina was just over estimating what the non-Biotic's reasons were, but the longer he simply sat there, comfortable as can be around them, they thought it a good time to see if he was just putting on a front, or was truly that at ease with their gifts.

"So um... You cool with being seen with us?" Afon asked with a slight Russian accent, lightly rubbing the back of his neck and wincing from the slight soreness the fresh implant still had.

Hew looked up from his food with an arced eyebrow, "Why wouldn't I be?" he shrugged.

"Um... We're Biotics." Afon said as a deadpan.

Hew just shrugged again and held out his hand, "The name's Shepard... Hew Shepard"

Afon hesitated a moment, "Uh...Hi. I'm Afon Tselikova... Uh, this is Eva Zarr," a tall strawberry blonde with bright green eyes, "and that's Laura Lojdahl." a pale blonde, blue eyed thing that was tall enough to damn near look Hew in the eyes.

"Nice to meet you," Hew gave each a nod in greeting, "So... Where do you all come from?" he was genuinely curious.

Before the Biotics could respond however, Kitrina showed up and sat down with datapad in hand, "Hey... What you doing here Hew? I thought you and me ate at the corner table." she said, sending a quick glance Hew's way.

Hew simply jerked his head toward the indicated table, spurring Kitrina to glance over and see Cadet Leng, whom was sending daggers at them with a thinly veiled look of disgust on his face.

"Oh... Him again." Kitrina mumbled as she looked away.

"Yep." Hew said with a flare to the P for affect.

Ignoring the furious glares from their usual table, Kitrina settled in her seat and noticed that the table started to chuckle. She looked around with an arced brow, not understanding why until she finally followed all their stares to her plate. She had only taken one from the chow line, so unless her plate was mysteriously growing its own cheeseburgers, the person next to her was responsible.

"Hew... I eat fine." Kitrina protested with a long whine in her voice.

"Nope." was all Hew said as he took another bite of his own food.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kitrina glared.

Hew leaned slightly closer to her, "Just because you eat a large salad, doesn't mean you're eating enough. You need the protein and even more so now since you got your mods. If I'm eating as much as you were supposed to before the mods, you definitely need to eat more now." he grind at her with a big, cheesy and somewhat smug smile.

Kitrina stared at him as she shook her head, knowing that there was no way she was going to be able to win, so she simply pulled out her datapad and started to read.

Watching Kitrina read her little heart out, Hew ventured to take a quick look at the datapad, catching just enough of a glimpse to see that it was the same OSD that she had been reading for weeks on end.

"Are you ever gonna tell me what you're always reading, or am I gonna have to start guessing and making some shit up?" Hew asked after he swallowed his mouthful and took a sip of his drink.

"Oh... It's just something Matron Arira gave me." Kitrina responded without looking up, or thinking about it for that matter.

Hew's eyebrow popped again, "When did the Matron give you that?"

_Shit, _"Um... Before we left Terra Nova I think?" Kitrina tried to sound believable, but it came out more like a question then a statement, and both her and Hew knew it.

Turning to give her his full attention, Hew looked straight at Kitrina, "Stop right there." he nearly snarled.

Kitrina stiffened and reluctantly looked his way. Terrified.

"You've never lied to me before and you've never had a reason to. You know you can tell me anything Kitty and if you don't wanna tell me what's on that datapad, you don't have to, but you know you can trust me. I'll listen and understand whenever you feel it's right." Hew refused to say anything more, so he simply turned back to his food and continued to eat.

Again watching him eat, Kitrina could only stare, her eyes delicately blinking away at him as she tried to rack her brain for some sort of retort, or comeback, but she couldn't. No matter how much she tried to formulate her words, she couldn't come up with anything that made any sort of sense, because he was right.

She had never lied to him and never had a reason to, but that was before she had read the datapad. She was scared that the information would change the way Hew thought about her. She was scared that if he knew, he would lump her into the category of freak, just like everyone else from the past and currently. Her terror expanded to thinking that Hew wouldn't be able to stand to be with her, wanting to desperately get away from her if he ever found out the truth_. _

Thinking as hard as she was, Kitrina's head and twisting of her stomach left her with little desire to eat any further. The tight constricting in her stomach was making her vastly uncomfortable, but despite the awkwardness, despite the eyes boring holes into her as the others waited for her to reply, she managed to utter something a hairs breath above a whisper.

"I will."

* * *

><p>Over the next several weeks, as they finished up the first phase of their training, it quickly became customary for the five cadets to eat together whenever they could. They would seek each other out when they were cut loose for their meals, always sitting at the same table and ignoring the questionable stares from the others, even Leng's judgmental sneers. They would joke, laugh, tell lavish stories of forgotten times, but most usually had some sort of punchline at the teller's expense. On the rare occasions when they were blessed with some free time, they told each other aspects of their training like having to hover a crate loaded with fragile items and set it down without breaking a thing. However, Hew only had stories of having to break down the rifles and put them back together again, which he already knew how to do.<p>

Finally, when they entered their second phase of training, they all ended up in the same class, thanks to the instructors taking notice of their rare camaraderie.

"Good to see some familiar faces here." Hew said with a soft smile as he joined the group just outside their new classroom.

"Ah Hell... I guess they'll just let any one in here huh?" Afon smirked as he shook Hew's hand.

"Love you to Red." Hew laughed.

Afon just smiled in return, "I know you do, but my heart belongs to the ladies my friend. I'm afraid that you will never know the love of a Russian." he smiled with a crooked grin.

Hew rolled his eyes, "I'll have to find a way to live Afon... Oh woe is me." he deadpanned.

The rest of the group just copied Hew's actions by rolling their eyes at the pair's antics, but it was pretty obvious they enjoyed needling each other and all the women could do was lump it up to a guy thing.

The call chime sounded while they chatted and took a breather, causing all the cadets to take their seats and settle in as they waited for the instructors. After five minutes and to everyone's surprise, their new instructor wasn't quite what they expected. She was tall with a curvy figure, draped in a lovely printed fabric, woven with greens and blues that accented her environmental suit. She was a Quarian, but that wouldn't be the biggest surprise of their already interesting day.

Luckily for Hew, their first day was spent simply going over what they would learn throughout the course, but to his horror, it was all tech related. Everything to do with fixing haptic displays if they went belly up, programming Omni-Tools to automatically bypass firewalls and unlock doors, or wall safes, or even secure panels should they need to cause some trouble during a mission. He would have to learn how to hack his way into mainframes from anywhere, and on anything should he need to complete objectives, but the icing on the cake was learning how to not only read basic programming and algorithms, but learning how to rearrange it all as well.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of tech related rambling and headache inducing acronyms, they were released for evening chow, but all Hew's head could do was wail mayday in a desperate attempt to survive the technical onslaught.

"I'm so screwed." Hew mumbled as he sat down at their usual dinner table, oblivious to the pairs of eyes glued to him.

"What was that?" the strawberry blonde, Eva Zarr, asked.

Hew sighed, "I said I'm screwed. I didn't understand two thirds of what she said in there." he ran a hand back over his buzzed hair.

The blonde haired, blue eyed girl, Laura, sat up straight, "Really? It was all basic computer programing and line code deciphering. All you need to do is transpose the thirty two bit pin code into the binary logic base and the system will rewrite the logic algorithm to reformat the base matrix. It'll end up as a file number of prime seven. See? Simple." she shrugged.

Hew's shoulders slumped as he thunked his forehead onto the table, "Fucking screwed." he groaned.

Seeing Hew hunched over like he had just been smacked in the back of his head, Kitrina sat down in the open spot next to him and placed her hand lightly on his back in comfort, "Don't worry Hew. We'll help you. I taught you to read in three months, so this should be easy," she said, only for her eyes to go wide as she realized what came out of her mouth. "Oh shit." she cringed.

"Wait wait wait... What was that last part?" Eva asked with fine furrowed brows.

"Um... Hmm?" Kitrina decided to play dumb.

"The teaching Hew to read part." Laura said, her expression nearly exactly the same as Eva's.

"Um... What?" Kitrina shrugged.

"Oh no you don't. You just said you helped to teach Hew how to read. What did you mean by that?" Afon asked, now all three being at the same level of curious.

"Who wants ice cream?" Kitrina deflected, shifting to stand and leave.

With their curiosity at an all time high, the whole table shifted their gaze from Kitrina, to Hew, whom seemed to be trying to bury himself in the metal surface by wrapping his thick arms around his head, thinking it would camouflage him into the brushed gray.

"Hew?" Laura poked, "What's Kitrina saying?" she nudged Hew's broad shoulder.

At first, Hew just groaned and whined, not wanting at all to admit that not even a year ago, he couldn't read, but the more he felt the eyes burrowing into the top of his head, the more he knew he wasn't going to have to get out of this alive. He took in a deep breath to calm himself as he lifted his head, both hands clawed and gripping either side as he blew out the breath and took the plunge.

"When we were in boot, Kitty taught me how to read. I never had a reason to learn before that, but it never really mattered on Earth. Knowing how to survive always took precedence." he said, deciding to stare at the table instead of the people sitting around him.

Instead of wailing their shock for the entire mess hall to hear, the group simply sat in stunned silence, mouths slightly agape and eyes unblinking and beginning to sting. Neither of them could believe that someone whom was nearly twenty lacked the ability to read when it was such an integral part of their chosen career paths. They couldn't learn everything they needed to know without the skill, and apparently, they were in the company of someone whom had learned it on the fly. That meant, that either Hew was a borderline genius, or Kitrina was that damn good at teaching.

Eva finally gathered the courage to speak first.

"Well... It looks like we have a fair trade then." she said, sitting up a bit straighter.

Hew popped another eyebrow, "What trade?" his brow line furrowed a bit.

Eva smiled, "We'll help you with the tech training and in return, you can tell us about your life." her smile grew a bit.

Hew groaned as a hand ran down his face, "Look... My life before now isn't something I really wanna talk about so can you think of something else please?"

"You can glaze over the bad stuff, but none of us have actually been to Earth, so we kinda wanna know what it's like. Deal?" Laura said with a hopeful look on her face.

Still not liking the arrangement, it did make it a bit easier to swallow knowing he could cut, paste and all around edit the more unsavory parts out of his tale. He, for one, couldn't understand why someone was so interested in hearing about Earth, as he had lumped the rocky dirt ball into the 'couldn't care less' category.

With yet another sigh, Hew nodded, knowing he had to do something to learn the technical aspects and this seemed the most harmless way to do it.

"You have a deal." he tried not to groan.

Eva and Laura both grinned widely and lightly clapped their hands together with their barely contained excitement, but Afon simply nodded and remained quiet.

"Ok... First thing's first... What can you tell me about tetrahedral cypher?" Eva asked, not wanting to wait at all to hear the beginnings of Hew's tale.

Hew just stared blankly and blinked.

Eva giggled, "I'll take that as a no. What about root command and poly numeral code rewrite?"

More blinking.

"Do you understand DOS?" Laura asked, folding her arms in front of her on the table.

"Huh?" Hew sunk down into his shoulders.

"Bios?" Afon asked as a last ditch effort to see if Hew knew anything at all about tech.

"That's the blue screen right?" Hew blurted out in a random jab of hope.

All three just plopped their faces into their hands.

"This is gonna take a long time." Eva mumbled.

"I hope you don't need too much sleep there Hew because we're gonna be up real late in our immediate future." Afon said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

And he was right.

During the next several weeks, the group spent whatever free time they had teaching Hew a basic understanding of code breaking and all the other tech mumbo jumbo that they could prattle on about. Hew's only reprieve came in the form of his innate ability and understanding for physical bypassing. It came in handy on more then one occasion during their late nights of teaching and testing, and even came in handy when Hew was suddenly faced with a schizophrenic Omni-Tool.

In return for their dedication and understanding, the group not only learned a lot about Earth, but Hew's life there as well. It was obvious that he was leaving a lot unsaid, probably because it hit a little to close to home, but despite the holes, they listened intently and never asked him to elaborate on the topics he glazed over.

After all was said and done, after the countless nights of studying, practicing and banging his head through the lines of techno jargon, the final test had come, and went with a passing grade. Hew was incredibly grateful for the help of his friends, his real, true friends. He knew he would have failed and spectacularly for that matter if it wasn't for them. He made sure to thank Afon, Laura and Eva, but when it came to Kitrina, he made sure to let her know that all her help was appreciated.

He wanted to do something, anything to let her know that all her help was integral, but whenever he tried to think about it, he could only draw blanks. Simply saying thank you, just didn't seem like it was enough.

* * *

><p>With the second phase of their training completed and their final grades received, the group, as usual, sat at their table with trays of food sitting in front of them and all piled high with their fill.<p>

"So... You guys ready for the Wilderness Survival, Escape, Evade, Search and Rescue course coming up?" Afon asked, stuffing a forkful of what passed for pasta into his mouth.

Eva took a sip of her drink, "I'm not sure how I feel. I heard they pair you up with a non-Biotic just to see how you handle it," she shrugged, "Whoever I get paired with will probably be the deciding factor for me." she said with a quick glance towards Hew, who missed it as usual.

Laura nodded, "Yeah... I hope I get someone who can actually survive on their own and isn't relying solely on theory and book information. That would really suck." she sent Hew her own look, which was again missed by the man, but not by Kitrina.

By watching the subtle glances and coy giggles from the other girls, Kitrina could only sit back and contemplate a bit as they shared their histories with each other. It was Hew's unique past that struck a cord with the others, but both Laura and Eva seemed to take an interest in Hew which that left Kitrina a bit uncomfortable. However, in classic Hew manner, he was oblivious to their casual flirtations.

At first, Kitrina ignored the attempts to garner Hew's attention, as she thought they were just having fun at both their expenses, but as time wore on and the flirting continued, Kitrina was beginning to get more and more worried. Both Eva and Laura were classically more attractive then her, both having a much more curvy physique then her own athletic build. Their hair was shinier, their eyes were of a classic color then her mixed emerald jade and their skin was like porcelain, not like her lightly tanned.

Deciding it best to just let the mild advances slide, Kitrina rejoined the conversation like she hadn't zoned out for a minute.

"I don't know. It might add a certain challenge to the course. I think it would be interesting to see who's different skill sets and abilities would gel together or not. Our dietary needs alone would need some working out." Kitrina contributed to the discussion.

"That's a good point actually. We really have no idea what's out there. The vegetation might not even be edible, the wildlife could have some serious contenders and the natural hazards could be atrocious. I think the water's ok though, but I'm not so sure if there's anything suspicious in it." Afon said, lightly rubbing the back of his neck again, without the soreness from a fresh implant.

"Well, they said our mods would give us some leeway in what we eat or drink, but I'd rather eat something I know won't make us sick." Hew said with a grimace at the thought.

Eva caught the slightest of discrepancies, "Wait... We?"

"Yes... We. There's noting in the guidelines saying we can't work together. I figured we could meet up somewhere, then work as a team. We did pretty well in the practical app, so why not in the field?" Hew said with a shrug.

"You know, he's right. This could work, but it's like I said before... It all depends on who we get paired with." Eva said just as the groups Omni-Tools all beeped at once.

At the subtle beeps, Hew looked at his Omni-Tool to read its new contents, which only caused him to glance up at Kitrina with a look on his face that simply said 'I told you so' and for Kitrina's part, she smiled as she looked back at him.

However, on the other side of the table, Eva was a little more confused as her and Afon looked at each other, but it was Laura whom had the worst look out of them all. She looked almost terrified.

"I thought you said they pair a Biotic with a non-Biotic. How did Eva and Afon get paired?" Laura asked, her skin paling slightly, like it even could.

"I said it was just a rumor... Why do you look so damn terrified?" Hew asked as he lowered his Omni-Tool.

"Um... It's..." she sighed, "Bad... That's all I can say." she said quietly as she seemed to hide behind the others, looking across the mess towards another cadet.

Hew's eyes narrowed, "What's wrong Laura? Who's your partner?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.

As Laura opened her mouth, a long, thin shadow fell across the table, drawing everyone's attention, including Hew's.

"What do you want Leng?" Hew asked with the slightest hint of a snarl.

Leng's mouth smiled coldly, "Just wanted to come say hi to my partner." he said, turning his gaze to Laura, or more accurately, her chest.

"Eyes up here Cadet Leng." Laura snarled as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh... Don't be that way Cadet Lojdahl... You and I will have plenty of time to get to know each other." Leng said as he turned and left all the group with a low laugh that grated on everyone's resolve.

Once Leng was out of earshot, Laura hung her head and tried not to cry, "How in the Hell did I get stuck with that SOB? I mean... everyone know he hates Biotics." she pressed her face into her hands in a weak attempt to hide.

The only thing the friends could offer were words of comfort as she warped her arms around her self. They all knew what she was really afraid of, and it wasn't the fact that she had gotten paired with a non-Biotic. The rumors about Cadet Leng were well known in the Biotic group, and none gave warm and fuzzes. It was no secret how he felt about Biotics and aliens, no secret at all that he'd rather do away with them then have to share the same air, but the way he looked at women, always eyeballing them, giving them evil glares that told them what his mind was cooking up was even enough to make the females, both human and non in his own Combat group, stay away.

"Maybe we can ask the instructors to replace you." Hew said, nearly feeling the girls all out fear radiating off her.

"And risk some other female getting stuck with him? I don't think so. I'll have to deal with his kind my whole enlistment, so I might as well get used to it. Plus... I'll be damned if he ruins my chance to become an N7. I earned this dammit and he won't stop me!" Laura growled through gritted teeth.

"What if Afon swaps with you Laura?" Eva asked, looking to her partner, "You'd do that right?" she asked him.

At the sudden volunteering of his name, Afon paled, and that's saying something considering the former Alliance Marine had spent most of is eight year commission on hot, aired desert worlds and had built up an impressive tan. He, as much as any other Biotic, couldn't stand the cadet, and very much didn't want to interact with him if he didn't have to, but seeing Laura's fear, he couldn't just leave her hanging with someone who could cause her catastrophic harm. At least he had a chance of holding his own, should he need to.

"If Laura wants me to, I will." Afon finally said as he flashed Laura a brief smile.

Laura sucked in a deep breath, "No... This was assigned to me and I'll do it, but thank you for the offer. Both of you." she returned the smile.

"If course." Afon said with a curt nod and a hidden sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to deal with the abrasive cadet.

"I'd take your place, but they don't stick grunts together." Hew shrugged with a crooked grin.

"That's because you need a combined IQ in the triple digits Hew. Two grunts is still a single digit number." Afon joked, trying not to laugh out loud at his jab.

With a low round of laughter from the group, all Hew could do with a slightly disgruntled face, was send the Russian an all to familiar hand gesture.

* * *

><p>The following morning was one that only left the cadets tired, standing in the dark of whatever planet they were on at the awful hour of zero dark thirty. The sky was dark, the air was crisp, the dirt beneath booted feet barely made a crunch when they took a step and just for the fun of their misery, it was raining. They were wet.<p>

The cadets stood in formation outside on the parade deck, just wondering what was going to happen next, but as if on cue, Commander Basalone appeared looking wide eyed and bushy tailed, just like he usually did.

"What a wonderful morning is it not Cadets?" the silence just made him smile, "Well... You're all probably wondering what's going on, so let me put it simply... Your going to run. What this used to be called was SERE training, but we've taken it a lot farther then just that. You'll have two weeks to evade capture, or if you get caught, you'll have to escape. It's a simple exercise to put it plainly. You'll be given an emergency alert button, or a 'Bitch out button' should you realize that all this is too much. Now... I know you're all wondering when all this'll start, but I'm not gonna tell you. It'll happen at an undisclosed time, so be ready. Dismissed." the Commander simply smiled and took a sip of his coffee.

**Several days later**

"Dude... Why do you still sleep in full gear? They ain't gonna do anything." another cadet asked as he watched Hew finish checking his go pack to make sure it was ready at a moments notice.

Hew knew damn well that when a Commander says 'undisclosed time', then they mean it and he'd be damned if he was going to be caught with his pants down.

"You know me... 'Always prepared' and all that." Hew said with an air quote and a shrug as he tied his pack closed.

"You're weird man... I'm getting some sleep. Night." the cadet said, climbing into his bunk and laying down.

"Night Frances." Hew mumbled.

Laying in his rack, Hew simply watched as everyone went to their beds, laying their heads down to get some sleep without a care in the world. He had begun the nightly ritual of watching them since the briefing, never wanting to be frightened awake in the dark of night should the SERE begin when their guard was down. He watched as the cadets fell into predictable patterns, brushing their teeth, readying their uniforms for the next day, reading the material they had read a thousand times already before they drifted off into blissful slumber.

It pissed him off at how long it actually took to realize what the instructors were doing and as soon as he had figured it out, he had made sure to tell his friends. Over the course of the days since the briefing, Hew had analyzed the instructors plan enough to share his ideas with his friends. They were skeptical at first, but the more Hew explained that the instructors were just circling until the cadets were unsuspecting and comfortable, the more they began to believe him.

Knowing damn well the instructors were going to do something, at some point, Hew shared his idea that when things hit the fan, they should meet up, upon which they agreed. They had agreed to meet at a place hidden in the forest, tucked away amongst the trees in the form of a magnificent, yet humble waterfall on the north side of the forest ridge. They just didn't know when they were going to need to make the journey.

With the hour getting late, Hew finally began to feel his eyes close, pulling him into a somewhat comfortable sleep, but a tapping outside the barracks window kept him just shy of being totally in la la land. It was a tiny, pinpointed tapping that sounded like it was all over the window, but it was barely loud enough for him to hear in the first place. However, when Hew's mind suddenly became hyper aware of what the possibilities could be, the window shattered with a startling, sizzling crash as a cylindrical object started bouncing across the floor.

Shooting straight up in his rack, Hew followed the object and knew exactly what it was.

"Grenade!" he yelled just as the flash/bang went off.

As chaos erupted in the barracks, Hew rolled off his rack, snatching his pack as he moved and managed to do it all with his eyes closed which was no different then doing it in the dark. Unfortunately, with the only thing he could hear being that of the deafening ring the grenade had put in his ears, he was left with only his memory of the layout of his the barracks to get himself out.

Deciding he had to, he risked opening his eyes to see several individuals dressed in unfamiliar hardsuits. They were entirely black with no identifying marks of any kind, shielding the shape of their wearer from the cadets like they were shadows. Every cadet scrambled in their confusion, screaming and flailing about, unable to hear themselves thanks to the flash/bang. The black figures moved in a coordinated fashion, grabbing several cadets in the process and began to tie them up.

They were being captured.

After only a split second, Hew finally got his bearings and moved toward the very window that the flash/bang had been thrown through. He tossed his pack through first and nearly dove through the broken glass, doing his best to avoid the sharp shards from clawing at his flesh.

With a scrambling, uncoordinated roll, he grabbed his pack and made his way towards the heavy forest that surrounded the base. Everything was still dark, cast in an infinite, unyielding darkness that made the edge of the forest look like a solid wall.

A number of feet away from the barracks, hidden in a shadow, he looked back, torn between trying to help the other cadets, or just hightailing it towards safety, but his foremost concern was finding Kitrina and getting her away from where the insurgents would be looking for escapees.

With no more time to waste, he made his way around the edge of the compound, finally catching sight of the Biotic barracks, but before he could move in, he saw movement at an emergency exit, and they were clad in the same black as the ones still inside his barracks.

* * *

><p>Kitrina was nearly back to her barracks after taking her shower, freshly cleaned and with her things in hand, but when her hand touched the door, she heard an odd noise. She couldn't be sure what it was, as it only lasted a moment, but as she listened harder, that's when her attention was drawn to an uncomfortable tingling sensation running across her skin. The feeling continued up her arms, swirling around the base of her skull and continued down to finally come to rest at the small of her back.<p>

_ A Biotic damping field? _She thought, her hand still hovering just above the panel to open the door, but before she could finish her thought, that odd noise turned into a loud one as a bright flash came from behind the doorwith a gut curdling boom.

As she was about to turn and run, she realized that her go bag was by her rack, and that was the last place she wanted it to be. She immediately knew what was happening, and not having time to remedy her bag-less situation, she headed straight for the quickest route to the forest, but the moment she withdrew her hand from the door's panel, the door started to open.

Coming face to face with a violent looking figure clad in nothing but black with a very large gun in hand, Kitrina did the only thing she could do. She used her Biotics.

With a strong Biotic push, she sent the figure flying back through the door, taking out the three other black figures behind him in the process. She wasted no time as she spun and ran at a dead sprint, dropping her armful of shower gear to the ground as she headed for the forest where she would hopefully find Hew, the others, and safety.

As she started for the main gate where the forest lay a short distance beyond, awaiting to shield her from capture, two rough hands caught her and pulled her into the gap between two buildings. Her instincts immediately kicked in as she lashed out, body flashing with blue hued Biotics, but to her surprise, she was greeted with an amused voice, and it was chuckling.

"Hey... That tickles." the voice laughed, lowly rumbling as its owner tried to keep things somewhat quiet.

Recognizing the voice, she looked over her shoulder to see Hew smiling back at her.

Kitrina smiled and sighed with relief.

"Good idea, but wrong target. You ok?" Hew said, looking around the corner to see if anyone had caught sight of the blue flash.

"Y-Yeah... I'm ok. What are you doing here?" Kitrina asked in a harsh whisper, not really caring what his answer was, but just happy that it was him.

"Well... I had to pick you up for our date, but" he smiled with his humored tease, "we need to get out of here. I doubt anyone missed that push of yours." he shifted to stand in front of her as he scanned the area once more, paranoid that some of the insurgents may be getting close.

Kitrina only nodded in agreement as Hew took one last look and grabbed her by the hand to lead her to the forest where they would have their chance to disappear.

As they ran, Hew set a fast pace since, knowing the forest better then anyone since he had spent the most time amongst its trees during his combat training. All the non-Biotics had become familiar with the forest's layout, having to do all their physical training on the often muddy ground. On more then one occasion, he had returned from training looking like he hadn't bathed in months.

Kitrina hadn't had the pleasure of even getting to go for a hick in the forest, as all her training had been done in a Biotic gym.

Struggling to keep Hew's pace, she finally lost her footing on a deeply seated root from a large alien tree that had grabbed ahold of her ankle and firmly held onto it. She hit the ground with a skittering thud, her hands and knees digging into the loose dirt to keep her face from hitting another root that arced up from the ground, but to her relief, Hew skidded to a halt and quickly came to her side.

"Kitty! Are you ok?" Hew asked frantically as he knelt down and gently grasped her ankle to pull it free of the root.

"Ow... Yeah... I think so. I don't think it's broken or anything." she said with a slight grimace as Hew lightly massaged her ankle.

"Just sore?" he asked.

Kitrina nodded, "Yeah. Come on... Let's keep going." she said as she shifted to stand.

However, before she could get to her feet, Hew easily lifted her up, gently laying her across his shoulders in a sort of modified fireman's carry and continued his blistering pace through the choking darkness of vegetation.

Feeling somewhat ashamed that Hew was now carrying her, as well as his pack, Kitrina tried to help by lowering her body mass as much as she could. She remembered hearing in her classes that it was dangerous for a Biotic to do if they lowered their mass to much, as it started to cause all sorts of medical problems for their internal organs. Their Asari instructor had explained to them that if they managed to lighten themselves just right, they could actually float, but it even took an Asari centuries to master without causing undo damage to their heart, lungs or any other squishy organ. Kitrina was good, but not that good.

Only being able to shave off roughly a dozen kilos or so, Hew gave her hand a quick, thankful squeeze to let her know that he felt a slight difference in the weight he was carrying. With a little more energy to spare, he picked up his pace a bit, but as he stepped out his gate, striding over arced roots and soft patches of dirt that could cause him to stumble and drop Kitrina hard to the ground.

With a rolling, trembling bout of thunder, the weather turned and began to pour down rain.

With chilled drops hitting his skin, mixed into the humid night air, Hew was alive, he was free. He was running through the jungle, a real, honest to God jungle and not one made of concrete and steel. This one was made of wood and vine. It was even unknown to Kitrina that he loved the rain. It was his friend, his ally, and his provider. It was always there for him, washing him and all the evidence away and then went as far as to provide him something to drink when water was so hard to find.

Running without pause, old skills he had hoped to never use again were back in full force, relying more on instinct then his own eyes as he hurdled over more roots, avoided the grabbing fingers of low hung branches and leapt over quickly filling puddles of freshly fallen rain water. He moved through the trees as if he belonged there.

Letting the water run down his body to cool him, he was able to push himself even harder and faster then he had ever before. He knew where he was going, having found the perfect hiding spot weeks ago during field maneuvers. He had found a cave only a few meters down a cliff face that overlooked a gully, filled with more forest and vines. It was easy to get in and out of, but was far enough off the known trails that it went largely unnoticed and that was exactly what they needed. It was were he would have led the others.

After what felt like hours of running, of constant moving and controlled breathing, Hew and Kitrina finally arrived at the rain soaked cliff.

Gently placing Kitrina on the ground, Hew peered over the side, seeing that it wasn't a sheer cliff, but it definitely had a slope steep enough to send him careening to the bottom to land in a steaming, wet pile of pain and mangled limbs. With a tired sigh, Hew helped Kitrina to her feet and started down the cliff face, guiding her feet to the safest areas and keeping a firm hold of her ankle, just in case it was weakened and threatened to give out.

After both the arrived at the landing of the cave, covered in mud and soaked from head to toe, they headed inside where Hew finally collapsed to his stomach on the dirt covered floor, trying to catch his breath. It was a Hell of a run after all.

"Hew!" Kitrina yelped as she dropped to Hew's side, "Are you ok?" she asked, concern thick in her voice and eyes as she gently wiped away some mud from his face and neck.

Hew exhaustedly chuckled, "Yeah... I'm fine Kitty... It was just a long run is all." he brought his hand up to cup her cheek, spurring a mud and rain water drenched smile from her.

But as his hand came into contact with her cheek and despite her soft smile, Kitrina tried not to flinch away. Hew was so open with her, so much so that he had shared some of his more guarded and closely held secrets, but yet, she still persisted to hide parts of herself from him, parts that up until a few months ago, she didn't know existed.

At her subtle flinch, Hew was surprised by just how tense she had become at his touch. It had been like that for some time, ever since she had started reading the OSD, making her seem ashamed in a way, but in all honesty, he had no idea why.

Still believing that she would tell him when she was ready, Hew quietly withdrew his hand from her cheek, seeing the instant relief in her face that again, she tried to hide, which made him feel uneasy that he had done something wrong.

"Maybe we should check out this cave huh? See what we have to work with?" he suggested, somewhat needing Kitrina's help to sit up.

Glad for the change, Kitrina nodded in agreement, "Sure... It's not much to look at, but at least it's dry." she said, keeping her hands on his bicep and waist for a moment longer, just in case his balance faltered.

"At this point, dry is better then anything Kitty." Hew said as he looked down at his soaking wet uniform.

Kitrina nodded and looked at her own uniform, "Yeah..." she sighed as her voice trailed off.

Still trying to catch his breath, Hew set off to examine the cave with Kitrina in tow, squinting to see the shadowed lines of the walls and rocky ceiling. The air was chilled, growing a layer of goosebumps on their already soaked skin, but after only a few minutes, Hew found a larger chamber farther in after a cut back that shielded their view of the outside. However, it also stopped anyone outside from looking in.

Despite Hew's growing sense of security that they were safe, both began to feel themselves beginning to shiver. The water on their skin was only damp, but their uniforms were still clinging and dripping, having cooled down to wick away their body heat, but to their delight, they found a bunch of dead leaves and dry wood that had been collected by random winds and some great amount of luck.

In a short amount of time, Hew had cleaned the chamber and had built a small fire pit in the their discovered chamber. In both their opinions, it was rather cozy, almost like a camping trip with the rain outside and a sweet, comforting fire going inside and to Kitrina's relief, the chamber was warming.

"Thank God... I'm freezing." Kitrina said, trying to contain the chattering of her teeth.

"I know. I am too. Lets get out of these wet clothes before we catch pneumonia or something." Hew said as he started to peel the soaked uniform from his body.

Finding all she could do was stare, Kitrina watched him, arguing with herself whether or not to stop since they were both in the military, but she was a woman after all and anyone with a pulse wouldn't pass up the chance to admire a trimmed and cut physique.

When Hew motioned for his bag, Kitrina finally ripped herself from her somehow unnoticed staring to find a thermal blanket, food, water and changes of clothes. Everything they could need for a stay in a cave.

But, there was one problem.

Everything in the pack was all in Hew's size and would drape like an oversized sheet on her, so grabbing the thermal blanket, Kitrina moved to the fire that was now just embers giving off precious and lovely heat.

"Why don't you put on one of your other uniforms?" Kitrina asked as she wrapped the thermal blanket around herself and began to strip off hers as well. _Not like I mind that you aren't._

Hew took her uniform and placed it alongside his on a bed of rock where both gave off soft wisps of steam, "We've got no idea how long we're gonna be out here, so I wanna hold off clean clothes till I have to." he said with a shrug, noticing that Kitrina was staring at him.

Kitrina looked away with a blush and nodded, hoping the action would hide the redding of her cheeks as she subtly watch Hew work the fire, keeping the embers hot with little to no smoke.

"How are you doing that?" she asked, tugging the blanket tighter around herself.

"Doing what?" he asked without looking up.

"Make a smokeless fire... How'd you learn?"

"On the street... If your fire had smoke, the cops would find you and either arrest you, or just kick you out of the building you were in. It was a trick you had to learn to say warm and dry when the rains hit. Because all of all the smog, it rained entirely to often in the larger cities, but unlucky for me, that's where I was. The wealthy all lived above the smog level in most major cities on Earth so there was pretty much two worlds. The upper where it was clean, and the lower where it wasn't." Hew explained with more pokes to the coals, tossing up a tiny puff of little glowing lights.

Feeling a pang of guilt as Hew so easily told her another piece of his past, she sunk down into the blanket a little further. The guilt hurt that she was keeping something from him, something she was still trying to come to terms with and she had to admit it wasn't easy. She didn't understand why she was having such a hard time just finding the words to tell him, but she was afraid. She was afraid that he would finally see her as a freak, a bane to the human race for being so vastly different. The last thing she wanted was for him to leave, but she was afraid even more that if she continued to keep it a secret, he would finally get fed up, and abandon her. She had to tell him. She had to trust that he would understand, as he's said he would many times before.

"Kitty?" Hew asked, seeing a streaking tear begin its decent down her cheek.

At hearing her nickname, Kitrina's tears came harder and faster, spurring Hew to reach out and take her into his strong thick arms. This time, when he touched her, there was no hesitation, no holding back as her arms wrapped around him, causing the blanket to drop to the floor.

Picking up the blanket to wrap it around them both, Hew simply held her, letting her bury her head into his chest as she started to shake, though he doubted it was because of the chill. He held her close, moving his hands up and down her soft, cool back, comforting her and hoping she knew that she wasn't alone.

It wasn't long before his fingertips found and started to trace the new scars that ran along her spine from her implantation, calming her breathing enough where he felt comfortable to gently pull her head away from his chest.

"Kitty... What's wrong? You've been so distant and closed off lately. I know I told you it was alright for you to take your time, but whatever it is is obviously really bothering you." Hew said, gently keep his hands placed on the side of her slender neck.

Kitrina gulped, "Hew... It's not you... It's me," she immediately realized how it sounded when Hew suddenly went wire tight, "Shit... That came out wrong... I didn't mean it that way. I mean... It has nothing to do with you. I just found out some things that changed the way I see myself. Does that make any sense?" she rambled.

"You mean on that OSD?" he asked, softly stroking his thumbs along her jawline.

Kitrina laid her head back into his chest to be soothed by the soft beating of his strong heart, "Yes... Matron Arira gave it to me... well... actually she's a Matriarch." she mumbled against his chest.

"Does that matter to what's on the OSD?" he said, cradling her as he just as softly stroked her back.

Kitrina shrugged, "Yes and no... I really don't know actually. It's all so confusing Hew! Three months ago, I was happy and just an above average Biotic with over protective parents and a great friendship with you, and then... Matriarch Arira came to do my implant and dropped this bombshell and everything blew apart!" she quickly sobbed, her tears coming faster and harder as they silently dripped onto Hew's bare skin.

"Kitty... You can't blame her for everything... Are you sure this is all her fault?" Hew asked, ducking his head a bit to try and see into Kitrina's face.

Kitrina sniffled as she tried to come up with a rebuttal, but the more she though, the more she remembered that Hew grew up on the streets and was used to having blame thrown on his shoulders, simply because he was easy to blame. She wouldn't fall into that slump.

"I guess you're right, but she kept it from me. My own parents kept it from me! Like it's some sort of dirty little secret." she said, forcing herself not to yell so the sound didn't carry out of the cave.

Hew gently grabbed both sides of Kitrina's head and just as gently tugged it up to look at him, "Kitty... Slow down and start from the beginning. I have no idea what your talking about, but I really want you to tell me what's been bothering you... Maybe I can help." he softened his eyes, hoping that their crystalline blue would lull her into talking.

Kitrina felt herself being drawn into the swirling storms of blue and gray that made up Hew's eyes, "I'm sorry..." she sighed and placed a hand over his, "Here goes."

Kitrina finally gathered enough of her thoughts and started to tell him everything, starting with the conditions of her gestation, leading into what the Matriarch had told her about her birth before going onto her unique training and how her Biotics differed from most. She went on to tell him about all the information on the OSD, but all that pretty much went over his head, as it was the more technical bits and scientific stuff that he hadn't grasped yet, but through the whole thing, Hew was quiet and only asked questions to clarify things he didn't understand.

Hew was quiet for some time after Kitrina had finished, as it was a lot to take in. The whole time she spoke, he simply held her close, trying to offer comfort as best he could, let alone, knew how. When she had finally fell silent, he could only wonder at how she dealt with all of it the entire time, keeping it bottled up from sheer fear that she would no longer be accepted. He refused to let that happen.

He looked down at the top of her head, slowly bringing his right hand up to run it through her dark, auburn colored locks, feeling the smoothness as it slid between his fingers. His other hand just as slowly stroked along her temple, down to her soft pale cheek, along her sharp jaw before finally coming to a stop at her petite chin. He tilted her head so he could look into her eyes, falling into the emerald jade swirls like a man whom was on fire would leap into a cool pool.

"And how does all of what you just told me change who you are?" he asked quietly, unable to pull his attention away from her glistening, but red eyes.

Kitrina's eye briefly narrowed, "How can it not Hew? Didn't you hear what I just said? I'm closer to an Asari then a human. All those people who called me a freak were right. How can I pretend to be something I'm not?" her heart started to thump harder in her chest as she became lost in his eyes, just as much as he was in hers.

"And what are you pretending to be?" he softly asked, holding her gaze.

Kitrina just stared at him, nearly completely lost, "W-What?" she barely whispered.

"Pretty easy question... What are you pretending to be?" he asked again, slowly.

Kitrina tried to push Hew away, but he held firm, surprising her quite a bit, as this was the first time he didn't let her go and it made her angry.

"Hew... Let me go." she said, blinking and ripping her eyes away from his to push against his chest.

"Not till you tell me what you're pretending to be." he said, flexing his arms a bit more to hold her where she was.

"Why does it matter? Why do you care?" she asked, nearly snarling at him as she pushed harder in an attempt to get free.

"Because it matters to you Kitty. I wanna understand what changed your self image so much that you see yourself as something else. What are you pretending to be?" Hew asked again.

Kitrina looked back to Hew, immediately being captured by his intoxicating eyes and finding that she was unable pull away, but something about the contact, the way he managed to still gently grasp her chin without hurting her, made her stay.

"H-Human." she stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What?" Hew asked, leaning his head down slightly, but kept his eyes glued to hers.

"Human." she said, a bit louder.

"I can't hear you Kitty... What are you pretending to be?" he was starting to sound like one of their boot camp instructors.

"HUMAN! God damn it!" she screamed, her eyes spilling over with more tears as she gave up the plight of trying to get free of Hew's grasp.

Hew arced a brow, "Pretending to be human..." he said as a statement.

"Yes... I'm pretending to be human. I've spent my whole life pretending. The sad part is that I didn't now any better." she scoffed. _Why can't I look away from his eyes? _

Hew was silent for a moment, "You're not pretending to be anything Kitty, " he whispered, "I've spent a great deal of my life wearing a mask of one type or another... You're not pretending to be human... You are human. Nothing will ever change that, or the way I feel about you." his voice was low, trembling, spurring Kitrina's skin to begin to regrow a layer of goosebumps.

Kitrina's lips parted slightly, "Bu..."

Hew cut Kitrina off by placing his fingertips over her lips, "I don't care if you shave your head and paint yourself blue Kitty, you're human and I love you. Nothing will ever change that and I'll keep reminding you till you tell me to leave." he felt his heart thunder beneath his sternum.

Hew's words sucked the breath right out of Kitrina's lungs, as she had never thought she would hear him say that he loved her, let alone loved her after all the things she had put him through. Even after all she had just told him, about how vastly different she was, he loved her without even looking away from her eyes.

Having to force herself to even remember how to breath, Kitrina's hand came up to gently stroke the side of his neck, "Show me." she whispered.

"What?" he asked, unsure if he had heard her right.

"Show me." she said again, almost afraid of shattering the hope that he would say yes.

Having confirmed what she had said, Hew's heart managed to speed up until it was just on the edge of pain, "Kitty... I-I..." he was having trouble forming the words.

"Please... Show me I'm worth loving... Show me I'm human and not something else." Kitrina whispered, stretching her neck a bit to place her forehead against his as she gripped the back of his neck.

Hearing her words, how they trembled and pleaded, he couldn't understand exactly what she was asking, but when he saw a fresh tear trace its way down her cheek, he knew she was asking for something more then just words. At the mere thought, his stomach warped with waves of nervous heat, but it wasn't just nerves rumbling around in his gut, he was truly scared. He wanted to do what she wanted, but the fear couldn't help but make him think that if he did, it would ruin what they had and that terrified him. He refused to take advantage of her emotional state, refused to destroy what they had built as an infallible friendship and to do something they would both regret later was beyond terrifying and into horrific.

"Kitty... I want it to mean something. I don't want it to be just like all my other experiences with this. I love you... I don't wanna use you." he said, his voice just above a whisper, but beginning to shake.

"Hew... Please... I need something... I need you." she said with a hiccup from her light sobs.

Before he could provide another protest, Kitrina pulled his lips to hers in a slow, desperate and nearly chaste kiss that had a salty tinge from her tears. At first, he was drawn into it, momentarily forgetting that they were hiding in a cave, but there was something behind her kiss, something that demanded an answer to her near pleas. The desperation in her lips was overwhelming, the heat, the tears and her hunger to feel accepted was all too much and he soon realized he couldn't deny her her wishes.

Melting, Hew moved his own hands to the small of Kitrina's back and the back of her head, holding her as her tongue demanded entrance, upon which he granted. He knew she was unskilled, more like inexperienced, but her demand and urgency for more made up for any experience she might have lacked.

After something that lasted just shy of an eternity, Hew pulled them apart, breathless and more then a bit surprise by Kitrina's forwardness. He looked into her calming eyes, seeing that their redness had begun to fade and instead of sadness, they had begun to shift into the realm of joy and want. When Kitrina started to lean forward for another kiss, he shifted his head, avoiding her lips, but his went to trail feather light kisses along her jaw, making her gasp sharply.

"Is this what you really want Kitty? Is this what your asking for?" Hew asked in a hot breath laced whisper to her ear.

The gentle kiss to her jaw and neck left her breathless, so she simply nodded, giving Hew permission to hold her tighter.

"I need you to say it Kitty... Just say no if this is a mistake." he whispered again, feeling Kitrina arc her back, lolling her head back with it as his lips danced around her neck.

Kitrina simply attempted to smile that Hew was still thoughtful enough to put control in her hands. She had the power to stop what they were doing, but she didn't want it to.

"I don't... want you to stop." Kitrina forced herself to say, having a hard time concentrating on speaking since she was mostly paying attention to what Hew's lips were doing.

"As you wish." he breathed.

With Kitrina's permission, he allowed his hands to truly explore her exposed skin, following her curves, tracing her scars with a new found affection that left her trembling against him, her own hands gripping his back with lightly clawed fingers. He trailed his mouth along her neck and jaw, lightly nipping and licking at her soft flesh to draw out more soft gasps and roaming hands from her.

Kitrina's breath was hot against his skin as she gasped more when his hands hit a particularly sensitive spot along her back that had become hypersensitive when she had received her implants. Hew's reward was sharply clawed nails against his shoulder blades, shocking him into a low growl that could have only come from deep inside his throat. She rose to her knees, raising herself up enough where Hew's face was now inches from her sports bra covered chest and planted her knees on either side of his hips.

Smiling, Hew simply fell in love with the noises he was drawing from Kitrina, surprised at the sensitivity of her scars and especially the one at the small of her back. His arm wrapped itself tighter around her waist, pulling her further into his body as he continued his attention to her bare skin, his other hand softly roaming around her back which drew more subtle gasps and slightly more painful digging of her nails into his skin. The pain she was causing to his back forced his throat to rumble with a primal desire that was unlike any other he had felt before.

Unable to keep herself on her knees any longer, Kitrina dared to settle herself down onto his lap, bringing his lips back to her neck and collarbone as she loosened the claw of her hands, mercifully removing her nails from nearly breaking through his skin.

She was alive, more so then any other point she could remember. Her thoughts whirled as his hands alternated between light pain from tightly gripping her hips, to soft flutters of calloused fingers over her delicate scars. They only swirled into oblivion as he lightly nipped her ear, feeling Hew's warm breath tickling the hairs along the back of her neck which only caused her to dig her nails back in with another growl from Hew.

Hew couldn't stop himself from growling when Kitrina dug her nails into his back once more. _So that how it is... Lets play. _He growled again, dragging his own nails across her back and shoulders as he kept nipping the skin along her collarbone through the material of her sports bra. He allowed his hands to trial at the elastic bands of her boy shorts and sports bra, not expecting to go any farther as he started to draw his hands way, but was stopped when her own hands laid over his.

With heavy breaths, he drew back to see what she wanted, "Are you sure?" he asked with some difficulty, seeing the desire for more deep in Kitrina's eyes.

Kitrina lightly licked her lips, "I know what I want and I know I want this." she whispered.

"All you need to do is say no."

Without waiting for an answer, Hew's hands continued to lightly play with the elastic bands of her underwear, but hesitated for a moment, only until Kitrina nodded.

Kitrina, for her part, could only lean back slightly as his hands traced her abdominal muscles, pausing at the bottom of her sports bra where they paused for a brief moment, waiting for more permission. She had traced those muscles countless of times when she showered, but something about only feeling one side of the sensory input left her breathless, the mystery of not knowing what was going to happen next was as thrilling as any other part of the experience.

When she nodded, Hew slipped his hand slowly under the material and just as slowly and as gently as he could, cupped her firm right breast. At the jolt of sensation, she bit her lower lip, unbelieving that Hew was touching her in as an intimate place as possible and she welcomed it. She sat on Hew's lap with her legs still gripping his waist, she arced her back more as Hew's calloused thumb flicked over the peak of her breast, ripping forth another gasp and moan of building pleasure from her throat.

The sound made Hew smile as he came to terms that he enjoyed it, the way it rumbled through the air to his ears only igniting the primal desire inside himself that was getting harder and harder to ignore. Wanting more of the sound, he began to slowly massage the firm, but yielding, highly sensitive globe of flesh, alternating between gentle and firm pressure which was making her writhe and arc with more pleasure. The gasps and low moans were soon joined by the soft, water like shimmering of Kitrina's Biotics as she slowly lost control, allowing the wisps to dance over her skin.

Hew admired the way the ghostly wisps fluttered as he continue to massage her with a few more flicks, but stopped when one of the gentle wisps brushed across his own skin with a gentle tickle. If he said the feeling was unpleasant, he would be lying, as it left a wonderful warm, humming sensation wherever it traveled. He took it as proof that he was doing a good job and it spurred him on as he continued his gentle kneading and massaging of Kitrina's panting breasts. He could only smile and take a small piece of pleasure that he was able to not only draw the intoxicating mulls from her, but give her something she desperately wanted.

It was then, hearing her heave her breathing and arc into his touch, that he trailed his right hand to the elastic band of her boy shorts and paused.

Lost in the sensations Hew was drawing from her, Kitrina, at first, was oblivious when his hand left her breast, almost, until it found her left. She was so lost in what Hew was doing that she almost didn't feel his other hand trail along her spine and come to rest on the small of her back. Feeling his fingers moving in slow circles around her amp jack, it was a pleasantly ticklish sensation. Knowing he was asking for permission, Kitrina opened her mouth to say yes but all that came out was a low moan. Slightly embarrassed, Kitrina opened her eyes to see what Hew was doing only to catch his own starring back into hers.

Hew smiled, "Ready?" he asked, internally hoping that she would allow him to continue.

"Yes." she simply breathed, unable to get any louder.

With that, Kitrina felt Hew's fingers slip beneath the elastic band, slowly beginning to move across the smooth, firm surface of her rear before stopping where her thigh met her glut and pulled her tighter against his own hips.

Kitrina gasped as her cloth covered core brushed against Hew's lower abdomen, bringing a whole new rush about her that left her nearly gasping for breath. She was about to shift herself, but Hew rose to his knees, moved his hands to grip her hips and spun her around so that her back was against his chest.

Kitrina made a noise that somewhat sounded like a grunt of disagreement.

"Trust me." Hew breathed into her ear, placing his hand onto her bare stomach as he pulled her back into him.

Having nothing to argue with, Kitrina simply lolled her head back onto his shoulder, her legs still delicately perched on either side of his legs as his fingers danced dangerously close to the most sensitive parts of her body. She was putty in his hands.

Almost as if to prove a point, one of Hew's hands returned to where it had been moments before, eliciting another series of gasps, moans and mulls from Kitrina's delicate throat. With her back against him, he was able to reach a whole new set of sensitive areas with his mouth, exploring all the new places with vigor and making a game of just how much he could make the woman on him squirm with pleasure. The gentle kisses to her amp jack started to make her moan anew.

Breathing heavily, Kitrina felt his available hand move across her hip as it started to trace patterns along her bare thigh, down to her knee and back again by way of her inner thigh. The tease of his fingers on only the material, a breath away from her core, was enough to set her off, building more heat while his other hand blazed a blistering trail and merely stoked the raging fire, but through all of it, he seemed to know just how far to push her before pulling away. Every once in a while, he would drag his nails along the same path, providing a lovely combination of pleasure and hinted pain which was as exciting to her as the simple teasing his finger was doing to the fabric between her legs.

Enjoying what he was doing to Kitrina, Hew lavished in the sounds that were soon joined by her body bucking and arching into both his hands and chest. The way she was writhing against him made him wonder if she would be willing to go one step further, so deciding to testing his luck, Hew slowly drifted his hand that had been teasing the cloth of her underwear to her abdomen, then slowly moved it back down to the elastic band.

"Do you want this?" he asked, nearly a whisper.

Kitrina was so lost in the sensations of Hew's mouth on her neck that she almost missed his hand until she heard him ask if she wanted this. Feeling his hand resting just above the elastic of her underwear, her entire focus was drawn to this moment. She answered Hew in the only way she could think of, she reached back and grasped him at the base of his skull, pulling his lips to her and crushed her lips to his where she allowed his tongue to dance with hers.

Hew could taste Kitrina like this for hours, as she was getting better with her tongue and lips with every second that went by, but he knew what she wanted. With his mouth still blanketing hers, Hew slipped his hand further inside of Kitrina's underwear and brushed his hand slowly, softly, and with all the pressure of a thought, against her core.

Under his hand, Kitrina almost lost it, any moaning she could mange being swallowed by Hew as he refused to break the kiss. He cupped her core, simply drawing small circles around the most private of areas to feel her starting to shake, trembling from the sudden and new feeling of _his_ touch.

Kitrina relished in the feeling of Hew's hand, only being a breath away from the heat she was producing, however, when his hand brushed her, she could almost feel the release she didn't even realize was so damn close. She moaned at the contact, but it was so eagerly swallowed by him, even when she almost cried from her building joy.

The small circles his fingers were drawing hinted at something she had never experienced before. She had no idea what she had wanted when she had asked Hew to show her and this sure as Hell hadn't crossed her mind, but as she found herself on the cusp of something more, all she felt was excitement, pleasure and joy.

Finally breaking from the kiss, Kitrina took in a deep breath, her chest heaving from both lack of oxygen and excitement, "Hew." she tried to say, but the word was nearly lost in the heave of her breath.

In that one word, Hew heard more then he thought he should. She wanted this, she wanted him, and she wanted him to do something to confirm who she was and who they were together.

"Kitty..." Hew nearly purred.

Hearing her name on his lips made her almost cry. There was something in his voice that struck a cord, but she didn't get a whole lot of time to think about it before she felt a sudden brush against her core. With another gasp, she felt Hew's finger gently press against her outer lips, slowly spreading the sensitive flesh apart before feeling his finger press against her now exposed opening. He only hesitated a moment before slowly entering her warm inner passage, holding Kitrina as she nearly jumped from his lap at the sudden feeling of something inside her.

Kitrina bit her lip, "My God Hew... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to startle you." she panted, her forehead pressed again his as she continued to moan from the sensation.

"I-I should be the one apologizing. I'll stop now if want me to." he said heavily, grimacing as he hoped it wouldn't end.

"Oh God no... It's just... I'm not used to... um... this. God you must think I'm a child." she said, her eyes closed as she refused to let go of the back of Hew's head.

"I'd never think that Kitty... Just relax and let your body adjust. I'll be careful." he whispered to her, lightly nipping at her neck once more.

Simply just trying to breath, Kitrina laid back against his chest, resting and exhaling until her body relaxed, but her heart never slowed, "Ok... I'm... ready."

Hew nodded, readjusting his grip around Kitrina's waist before slowly, and with infinite care, started working his finger in a rhythm that wouldn't hurt the woman whom was near the edge. At first she seemed to just sit there, trying to control her breathing and keep her body relaxed, but in no time at all, she not only started to counter his motions, but actually started to increase the rhythm and push herself harder against his hand as if trying to get his finger further inside of her. It didn't take long for her to start vocalizing her pleasure.

When Hew had started, Kitrina didn't know what to do with her hands, she didn't want to accidentally stop him, but really had no desire to have her hands doing nothing. They eventually found their way to back Hew's head and kept busy holding it to her neck.

As Hew continued his rhythm, Kitrina was surprised to find herself not only acting as a counter point to his actions, but speeding the rhythm up and deepening the stroke. She very much wasn't a puritan and had dealt with her needs on her own, but having Hew's hand doing what she normally did added a whole new element to the experience. Not only were his fingers larger, they seemed to be longer, and were hitting all sorts of interesting and sensitive spots.

Not having anymore energy to think on anything else, Hew's finger suddenly hit an abnormally sensitive spot, making her whole body go haywire. Every muscle seemed to try and contract at once, feeling as if she was doing it on her own and her brain suddenly exploded in a burst of color that only she could see.

Hew was shocked by Kitty's reaction. One moment, she was focused on maintaining rhythm, when the next, he felt her inner walls clamp down on his finger so tightly, that it was almost painful. It all happened just before she suddenly flared, sending a cascade of blue to burst forth, expanding to the wall of the cave before bouncing back like water after a stone had plunked into it.

When the waves hit him, the pleasant tickle coated his whole body, making his own breath hiccup with pleasure before flowing back into her. Kitrina was wire tight, her breath catching in her throat, so Hew did the only thing he could, he continued his actions to try and bring her down as slowly and as safely as possible.

After what seemed like hours, but was only moments, she finally slumped against him, her breathing finally slowing and spurring her heart to follow suit.

"My God Hew... What was that?" she asked, just laying against him and letting her arms go limp.

"If you don't know... I guess you really did need something from me." Hew replied, the rumble of his voice vibrating against her back.

When Kitrina looked behind her to see Hew, he was wearing a slight smile as he gently slipped his finger from her and laid her down where she very quickly, went to sleep.

Hew could only smile as he watched her, curled into herself for warmth and looking peaceful. He reached for his pack and began digging through it, looking for a pair of his packed sweats and carefully, gently, slipped them on her to keep her legs warm. He reached for the forgotten thermal blanket and softly laid it over her, tucking the ends underneath to trap the heat she generated and tenderly brushed a lock of her hair from her face to tuck it behind her ear.

By himself in the cave, he finally noticed that his own body was screaming at him, chastising him for not permitting its own pleasure, so he walked outside into the pouring rain. He let the freezing water run down his heated body, giving him time to think about what had happened and he'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't enjoy it. He and Kitrina had just shared one of the most intimate experiences and he was having trouble dealing with it, or forcing his body to deal with it.

His whole life, sex was just sex and sex was easy, but now, friendship was the hard thing to achieve, yet there he stood at the threshold where friendships were easy and sex was hard. He knew Kitrina put a completely different value on what had just happened then he did, but thinking it over, he thought he was beginning to see what she was talking about. What he was able to do in there, pleasing her, making her breath his name, was so different then what he used to do that it seemed alien. She was never beneath him, or submissive and he vowed that she never would be. She was his equal, if not his better and he would spend the rest of his life proving that to her, no matter the cost.

As the water sloshed down his now cooled skin, he thought about what she had told him about the OSD and he still couldn't wrap his head around why she felt she was different. Everything he heard placed her as a superior to the rest, not inferior, but that was just his lowly opinion.

When he started to shiver, he figured it was time to head in and get ready for the next two weeks.

* * *

><p>The Tech Sergeant on duty hated his post. It was simple, boring. Nothing but scheduled space craft ever came their way, but when his early warning monitor suddenly flashed an alert, he stared at it in surprise. Not quite understanding what he was seeing, he called the Duty Officer over to take a look.<p>

"Hey LT? Can you come over here for a minute? I got a strange reading."

Now the Lieutenant was a very different person then the Tech Sargent, he loved his post. It probably had something to do with the pretty petite Asari he was in a relationship with but hey who's keeping track. " What you got Nickson?"

"Um... well... that's the thing. Sensors tagged it, but it's behind them. If I'm reading this right, whatever it was came from the surface, not space, Sir." the Tech Sergeant reported.

The LT arced an eyebrow, "What was it? A scout craft or something?"

"See... That's what I thought too, but I looked at the mass effect field readings and check this out."

When the Tech Sergeant brought up the EEZO scan report and Mass Effect Field gradient spectrum results, the LT felt his jaw drop.

"Are you sure..." the LT's voice trailed off.

"Ran the test three times sir. They're accurate."

"You're telling me we had something that had the signature of a Dreadnaught _behind_ our scanner net and we missed it?" the LT asked, skeptical.

" Well only for like a fraction of a second. Hell the only reason I even noticed it was cus the damn V.I. Flagged it. Why the Hell do you think I called you over sir? It's too big to be stealth, you think the eggheads in R&D at Lockheed Martian finally got a cloaking device to work?" the Tech Sergeant asked with a shrug.

"Cloaking device? Seriously Sergeant on this scale, their still trying to hammer out one that can cover a person, let alone a ship... What do you think this is? Science Fiction or something?" the LT shook his head.

"Sir... I was born on a spaceship." the Tech Sergeant deadpanned.

The LT gave the Sergeant a sideways glare, "Anyways... Do you have any way to track the signal?"

"That raises another problem... The scanners are designed to detect _incoming, _so they're pointed away from the planet."

The LT slowly turned his head to the Sergeant, "So is this reading just bleed off?"

"That's what I'm saying sir... It has to be a training thing right? No way we can produce that dirt side. Is there?" the Tech Sergeant sounded hopeful.

"Not unless every Asari on this rock did that together," he sighed, "Log the net for maintenance and perform a level seven system diagnostic. I'll run a request up the chain to see if the CO is having fun at our expense." the LT finally issued the order.

"Understood sir."

* * *

><p>Matriarch Arira Ze'than was working at her crafting table on some extra Biotic Amps for Kitrina with her delicate tools in hand and still thinking about what had happened when she had seen her former student, <em>Or is that daughter now?<em> She still had mixed feelings about what she had done, but her parents had given her the right to revel the information when she thought it was the right time and she had thought it the right time. They couldn't keep her origins a secret forever and they had planned for just such an occasion when Kitrina had told her parents that she was joining the Alliance.

As she was about to set the final component into place on the last amp, an odd tensing in her abdomen started to build, twisting and churning like agitated water. At first, the Matriarch thought it was due to the position in which she had been sitting for the last several hours, but when a sudden rush forced the tightening to spread through out her entire body, she knew it wasn't.

In the sudden contraction of almost every muscle in her body, she easily flipped her work bench over, scattering everything to the far side of her back office. The Matriarch found herself griping the edge of the up turned table in a white knuckled grip with eyes wide and, to her surprise, low moans and gasps escaping her mouth.

The sudden noise from the usually quite work room, drew two Asari from the front with looks of panic on their otherwise sarnie faces.

"Mother! Are you all right?" the slightly older of the two asked as she came to the side of her mother.

Unfortunately, all the Matriarch could do was moan as sensations that have not sparked in her body for centuries were making themselves known most profoundly.

The younger of the two sisters, they looked too similar to be anything but, slowly blushed a dark purple as she realized what was happening to her mother, "Mother... This is no the time for this. You are still young and beautiful and many a young male, or female of any race would be more then willing to spend time with you. I have said you should start to date again and sister and I will not think any less of you." she softly placed her hand on her mother's back.

Matriarch Arira would have blushed at her daughter's remark if she wasn't already flushed from what was happening to her, "It..." gasp, "Is..." moan, "Not..." gasp again, "My doing..." was the last she was able to get out before her body arched almost painfully, pulling her hands away from the only thing keeping her upright.

Before she could fall however, her daughters rushing into action and gently laid her on the floor with drunken eyes from... something.

"I fear my bond with young Kitrina Wolff is stronger then even I could have guessed." she said, in barely a whisper before she slipped into a restful slumber with her mind and body more relaxed then they had been in centuries.

"What was that" the youngest asked.

"If I would have to guess a sympathetic reaction." Her sister replied while placing a cushion under her mother's head.

" But that should not be possible. You and I are here and as far as I know neither of us...Well you know." The younger voiced, blushing

Looking at her sister the elder Asari could only shake her head at her sisters blush. Returning her gaze to her sleeping mother and gently running her hand along her crest in a soothing manner while lost in thought. The sisters could only look from their mother to each other, finally the eldest spoke

"Who by the Goddess is Kitrina Wolff?"

Her younger sister could only shrug.

* * *

><p>(AN: I normally don't do this, but I would like some input on how I did, did I pull it off, did I crash and burn. Please any feedback would be most appreciated. Thanks again for reading. Anyone see the two movie ref I put in?)<p> 


	10. Chapter 10: WaitWhat?

_(Disclaimer: As we all know I own nothing but my O.C.s and Bio Ware owns the rest.)_

_(A/N: Again I am sorry this update took so long but I had family issues that took precedence. Again I have to thank my Beta for turning this into a story and not a list of things. Hope you all enjoy_.)

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Wait... What?<p>

**Two Weeks later**

**N7 Training Battalion Commander's office**

"...All but five cadets are accounted for. Everyone else is in holding and we're about to start the 'capture' aspect of the training."

Commander Basalone was listening with half an ear as the Sergeant Major babbled on with the report, and had missed most of what he had said, save for that last bit.

"Wait... What was that 'all but _five _cadets' part?" Commander Basalone asked, looking up from the datapad in his hands.

Sergeant Major Warren smirked, "Only five remain at large Sir." he repeated.

Commander Basalone furrowed his brows and stared, "Which ones?" was all he asked as an eyebrow rose higher then its partner.

Sergeant Major Warren looked at his report in the datapad to read off the names, "Well, there's Cadet Lojdahl, Shepard, Tselikova, Wolff, and Zarr."

The Commander counted off the names, only to be a bit confused, "Wait a second... That's only two teams and a straggler. Who's odd man out?" he asked, sliding his own datapad away from him.

After a moment of consulting his datapad, the Sergeant Major popped his own brow, "That would be Cadet Lojdahl, Sir."

"And who is, or was her team member?" the Commander asked, threading his fingers together.

Sergeant Major Warren couldn't hold back his disdain, obvious by the light sneer of disgust that covered his features, "Cadet Lang, Sir"

Commander Basalone groaned low in his throat, "Ah... _Him._ But, that poses another question. How did we get him, but not Cadet Lojdahl?" he asked.

"That would require to relay what I was told." Sergeant Major Warren said, silently gulping as the tips of the Commander's ears began to turn pink with growing irritation.

Commander Basalone rapped his fingertips against his desk, waiting for his answer, but when none came, he cleared his throat, "Well?"

Sergeant Major Warren simply sucked in a long breath, "Well... We did have both of them, but Cadet Lojdahl was freed, or rescued as it were." he said, releasing his breath.

"Do we know who rescued her?" Commander Basalone asked, his voice flat and even.

"Yes." the Sergeant Major nodded with another silent gulp as he prepared for the impending storm that was about to make landfall.

Commander Basalone pinched the bridge of his nose, "Spit it out Sergeant Major."

"Cadet Shepard." another nervous gulp, making Sergeant Major's adam's apple hop.

Commander Basalone froze whilst rubbing an eye, "How accurate is that?"

"Very Sir" Warren could only stare as all of the Commander's ears turned pink and had spread down his neck.

At this point, Commander Basalone was growing rather irritated that the Sergeant Major was keeping something back. All he wanted was the report, but it was quickly turning into a chore to simply get the information from him.

Sighing as he crossed his arms, he glared, "Just spit it out already Sergeant Major. I'm getting tired of having to suck the information out of you." his throat rumbled with peaking irritation.

Shifting a bit nervously, the Sergeant Major forced a long breath out of his lungs and gripped the datapad just a bit tighter, "Cadet Lang gave the information to his interrogator seeking a reward."

Here comes the storm.

"THAT LITTLE FUCKER! WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?" Commander Basalone boomed, standing from his chair so fast that it toppled to the deck.

The Sergeant Major sidestepped a flying datapad just in time to be missed by it, "I don't think he really was, Sir." he shied into his shoulders when the Commander slammed a fist down onto his desk.

Basalone was still trying to calm down by sucking in long, unbroken breaths and resting his clawed hands on his desk. Never in all his military career had he seen someone so self centered come through his command. No one had ever put themselves over their peers, hoping, not even being promised, but hoping for a reward during their capture. It was unthinkable to sacrifice someone simply to better their own situation, as that was not their way. It was unfathomable.

"He violated articles three, four and five. For what? Why?" Basalone asked, his nails painfully digging into the top of his desk.

Sergeant Major Warren shrugged, but gulped again, "I wish I knew Commander, but unfortunately, there's more." he winced.

"Of course there is." Basalone grumbled.

"He uh... He got himself caught as well."

And round two.

"WHAT! ARTICLE TWO AS WELL?" Commander Basalone's voice was ricocheting through the office.

"I'm afraid so Sir. " the Sergeant Major said with a short nod, tapping a couple things onto his datapad.

Feeling the vein in his neck throb with anger, Commander Basalone turned and looked out of his window at the activity of his base. Vehicles and people alike went about their business to insure the base functioned as it was supposed to. Food trucks drove back and forth with loads, needed plenty to feel the amount of biotics they had not just on staff, but amongst their cadet ranks as well.

Luckily for him, watching things functioning smoothly, orderly, helped to calm him down and that, was good news for the Sergeant Major.

"How close is he to graduating?" Commander Basalone asked, glancing over his shoulder at the Sergeant Major.

"Very close actually. It all depends on how we score this evaluation." Warren said, looking over his information on his datapad.

Basalone nodded, "Good... Make sure he fails. I want that SOB out of my program, out of my brig, off my base and OUT OF MY SIGHT! I want it marked in his file that he's not to be reapplied to this program and all perks and special privileges are to be revoked." he said, nearly snarling through clenched teeth.

The Sargent Major swallowed, but a small smirk began to grow across his lips, "Of course. Is that all Sir?"

"No... I want him court-marshaled. He'll never see Lance Corporal by the time I'm done with him." Commander Baselone growled, having to drawing a long breath once more to stay his anger from reaching its boiling point once more.

"Agreed Sir. Will that be all?"

"No... I need a cigar." the Commander's throat continued to grumble.

"Um..." Sergeant Major Warren hummed, wincing when the Commander turned to look at him with a popped eyebrow.

"Um what Sergeant Major?" Commander Basalone asked, crossing his arms.

The Sergeant Major reluctantly handed the Commander his datapad with a list of missing items that had been compiled over the course of a week. He looked at it for a moment, his eyes narrowing a bit at the sheer number of items that were on the list, but when his eyes reached the bottom, the Commander just looked at the Sergeant Major with pink ears.

"You can't be serious... My cigars?"

* * *

><p><strong>The Cave<strong>

Kitrina still couldn't believe how much the cave had changed in the last two weeks. Hew had been busy gathering and making sure that they weren't attracting any attention, but the biggest surprise was that Laura was now with them. Whenever she would ask why, Hew would simply say that she was a medic, and he was not.

When Kitrina had opened her eyes, she found out that she had been asleep for two days while Hew had 'acquired' not only food, but bedding, racks, clean uniforms, and had even covered both the walls and cave floor with blankets from the base. She had no idea why he had done that, but to answer her questions, Hew explained that it was to hold the cold and moisture at bay and keep body heat and sound from escaping out into the open.

On top of all that, the ladies had used their biotics in an impressive display of precision control to not only clear debris away, but craft small aquifers to collect fresh water and even went as far as make a kind of bath. In about eight days time, the cave had gone from a hole in a mountain to what could be dubbed as a survival hide.

While Kitrina and Laura worked on the finishing touches in the cave, Hew was busy gathering wood and food from the base and on a few occasions, he had even brought them along. Those hauls were usually the largest.

Now, as Kitrina was looking through the latest collection of supplies from one of Hew's collection runs, she pulled out a box that utterly confused her.

"Cigars? Where did these come from?" She asked, looking toward the fire pit where Hew had sat to stoke the embers.

"Oh... That... From the CO's desk I think. Why?" Hew said with a light shrug as he flipped a piece of charred wood so the other side would burn.

Kitrina only stared, her brows pulled together some as she examined the rolled tubes of tobacco. They smelt halfway decent, to someone who would appreciate them, and they just looked expensive. Why Hew would take something like that was beyond her, but she was sure there was good reason, though it may not have been readily apparent right then.

Hearing a small noise coming from the cooking area, Kitrina sent her attention to see Laura at the camp stove that was from of Hew's earlier hauls. What she saw, was Laura trying her best not to double over in a fit of rolling laughter.

"Why are you laughing? This isn't funny. You can't steal for the CO." Kitrina said, replacing the cigar she held in her hand back into its place in the box.

"Why not? He is the _Enemy Commander_ after 's all in fun, right?" Laura giggled, attempting to light the small stove to begin making something to eat.

Feeling like he was under someone's glare, Hew looked up from the fire to see Kitrina staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"What? Well it is, and he is." he shrugged with an entirely blank expression on his face.

"They're the CO's cigars Hew. If you would've gotten caught, then Laura and me would've had to fend for ourselves and lets be honest, you've certainly showed us that you know to survive." Kitrina said, setting the box down.

"But I didn't, so we're fine. It was just for a bit of fun anyways," he finished with the fire, "Well... I've gotta go check to see if Afon or Eva are at the meet up point. You two don't have too much fun while I'm gone ok?"

"We'll try not to." Kitrina deadpanned with a soft smirk as she watched Hew grab his combat harness and pack, and headed out of the cave.

The cave fell silent while the pair waited for Hew to get some distance from the cave, Laura chopping a few things with her knife so they fit in the pot easier while Kitrina stuffed the cigar box back into Hew's rucksack.

"That man is crazy." Kitrina said, slowly shaking her head as she lowly chuckled, finally accepting that stealing the CO's cigars was quite funny.

"And loyal, caring, strong, thoughtful, tall, broad shouldered, and rugged." Laura listed off without missing a beat.

Kitrina looked over her shoulder and stared, "You say that like you've been thinking about it for awhile." she said, not sure she liked how fluidly Laura was able to list off the words.

Laura stirred the pot's contents before she walked over to the ember fire with a turned down expression on her face, "Kit... I need to tell you something." she said with a nervous sounding sigh.

Kitrina slowly put the rucksack of supplies down and sat in one of the field chairs that surrounded the central fire pit. She studied her friend for a minute, seeing the nervousness in the way she rung her fingers together and it caused her to do the same. Her stomach flipped with the possibilities, but she had to force herself to think that there wasn't anything to worry about, especially when it came to her and Hew because they were always in each other's company.

As Laura settled herself in the chair next to Kitrina, she held up her hand to stop her friend from speaking, "Before you say anything, I really need to tell you something." she started, lightly biting her bottom lip.

"But..." Kitrina tried, only to be interrupted.

"Let me say my peace Kit... Please." Laura almost sounded like she was begging.

Kitrina sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest and settled back into her chair, giving Laura her full attention.

Laura took a moment to draw in her breath, settling her nervous a bit as she worried that she was about to destroy a friendship. That was not her intention, but then again, she honestly had no idea what her intention was. She just knew that she needed to get this off her chest before she lost anymore sleep.

"I wanna say I value our friendship Kit and that's why I'm telling you this." Laura started, tightly pressing her knees together out of nerves.

"I value our friendship too Laura, but I don't know what's going on. Should I be worried?" Kitrina asked, still confused as to what was about to happen.

Laura furiously shook her head, "Oh heavens no! All I ask ahead of time Kit, is that you don't freak... ok?" her eyes did the pleading for her.

Kitrina nodded.

Laura blew out her nervous breath, "Kit... I see how Hew treats you... How he acts around you. I can see how he feels about you and you wanna know something... I'm jealous."

Kitrina opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She had no idea how to respond to that.

"You have something great Kit. I mean, most women, and some men even, look their whole lives for what fell into your lap. You have no idea how lucky you are to have such a rare catch." Laura said, lightly rubbing the side of her neck from uncertainty.

Again, Kitrina tried to rummage through her brain for something to say, but there was nothing there. Laura had her completely speechless and she wasn't sure she liked it.

"Now... For the part I fear will ruin what we have," she sighed, "If you ever cast him aside, throw him away, or hurt him in any way, I'll be there." Laura admitted, biting her lip the hardest yet as she kept her eyes glued to Kitrina, looking for any hint of aggression.

Now Kitrina had something to say, "Now just wait a sec..." she got cut off again.

"Let me finish... I'm not gonna try to take him from you. I wouldn't try that because you and I both know he would never go for that, but, and I do mean but, if you cause him to leave, he won't have to sleep in a cold bed." Laura admitted, seeing Kitrina stiffen with recognition as to what she was talking about.

Kitrina scoffed, just trying to find the right words so she didn't sound like she was about to fly off the handle, "What exactly do you mean and please tell me it's not what I'm thinking. Wait... Is that why your here? To try and get him to notice you?" _God I hope that's not it. _She thought, trying not to cringe.

Laura sighed, "Kit... Hew is with you and not available and I respect that, but the moment he's not, that's when you'll have a fight on your hands. As for the reason I'm here, Hew was worried about you when you wouldn't wake up and next to you, I'm the next best medic we have and your my best friend. I would do anything to help a friend... Anything to help you Kit." she finished with a smile before she went back to the cooking stove.

Kitrina was in shock, only able to sit statue still with her mouth slightly parted from her stunned state. One of the few people she called a friend just told her that _she_ had interest in the young man she claimed as her best friend and dare she say, boyfriend. The fact that Laura wasn't going to 'go after' him, as she put it, didn't make her feel all that better about the situation. She honestly had no idea why someone would divulge that to another they considered a friend, as it was only going to cause awkwardness and more then just a little animosity. That odd sensation of needing to watch her back started to make itself known and it wasn't alone, she also started to feel possessive. _Laura should've just kept her mouth shut. Now it's gonna be nothing but awkward. _Kitrina thought with a low, nearly silent grown as she lightly scoffed and went back to looking through the rucksack.

* * *

><p><strong>The Woods<strong>

Hew was moving through the woods, hoping over large roots and ducking through the thick vegetation as he headed for the water fall that was to be their meeting point. He couldn't understand why Afon and Eva hadn't arrived yet, as they were both extremely capable of surviving and evading the 'enemy forces'. When he had gotten into the holding cells, he hadn't see them, telling him that they hadn't been captured, so all he could do was think that they were in a hide of their own. _Some people just wanna see if they can do it themselves... I can respect that. _

As Hew trudged through more underbrush, he was drawn from his thoughts by the chatter of two people that weren't looking to evade anyone. They were looking to capture some.

"Can you believe it man? Two weeks and we still haven't see any trace of those guys. I mean, how can someone hide that long? They have to have left the AOE... Damn cheaters." one man rattled on, dressed in a hardsuit that looked like it had been smeared with mud from plenty of time spent in the woods.

"I don't know man. The perimeter net would have pinged if they had done that." the other man said, scratching the back of his head as he scanned the brush around them.

"You mean like the early warning satellites did? Yeah, that worked well." the first man asked with a popped eyebrow and more then his fair share of sarcasm.

His partner nodded, "Exactly... You know, they still don't know what caused that. My guess is a couple of the Asari instructors were messing around." he started to chuckle at the thought.

"Yeah yeah... Asari... Right," the mud man scoffed, "Hey... I gotta take a piss. I'll catch up." he started to adjust awkwardly in his hardsuit.

"Alright... Don't take to long."

Hew watched as the mud man went into the thicker bushes for a monicker of privacy to do his business, but he focused on the other as he walked on, leaving his partner behind. _Seriously? Their splitting up? It has to be a trap. They must've heard me or something._ Hew thought as he continued to watch the second man wonder off into the woods until he was out of sight.

With the partner gone, Hew shifted his gaze to the mud man as he ducked behind a tree and the sound of liquid hitting the dirt started to bounce off the brush. His brows furrowed as more pensive thoughts that it could possibly be a trap trotted through his head, but his curiosity was becoming too much to ignore. He moved quietly around through the brush until the soldier's back came into view, holding his breath as he waited to see if the mud man had a motion tracker, but the longer the sound of the man relieving himself went on, the more Hew thought that he didn't have one.

Trying not to snicker and give himself away, Hew did the only logical thing he could think of. he tapped the mud man on the shoulder.

"Dude... I said go on ahead. I'm still going." the mud man griped, not even turning around to see whom had tapped him.

Another tap to his shoulder.

"What man? You can't..." he finished and turned around, only to have his voice trail off as he saw who was there, "Uh... Your not Sam." he stiffened.

"Nope." Hew said, smirking with a crooked grin.

"You're one of those missing cadets."

"Yep."

"You're that guy."

"I'm that guy."

"I found you!" the mud man beamed.

"Wrong."

The soldier's brows furrowed, "Huh?"

"It seems I found you." Hew said, crossing his arms and squaring his shoulders.

"I don't... understand." the soldier stuttered.

"I can see that." both of Hew's brows popped up.

The soldier gulped, "What the hell do you want?" he asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

Hew's smirk grew into a smile, "Well... Since you asked."

Sam was getting tired of waiting for John, feeling more irritated then he should that he had to wait for his little bladdered partner to finish with his business. Disgruntled, he headed back to where he had left the guy, but when he got there, the sight he saw would live with him for the rest of his life. The fact that he couldn't stop laughing was most likely the reason.

Between gasps of breath, Sam was finally able to utter words, "How?" he sucked in a breath, "What the hell happened?"

Tied to a tree with a sock stuffed in his mouth, was a striped down Private, only left wearing his boxers and posed for all to see.

Unable to talk because of the sock, John could only grumble and wiggle a little bit with frustration until Sam finally had his fill and took the sock from his mouth.

"It was that damn cadet! Shepard! Guy took my gear and my weapon and left me here!" John growled, struggling against his binds to try and free his hands from the tree's trunk.

Hearing the cadet's name, Sam immediately stopped laughing and went to untie Sam from the three. However, his laughter only returned once John stood up and he got a look at his back.

_We did not cheat_

* * *

><p><strong>The Cave<strong>

The cave was uncomfortably quiet when Hew had gotten back. He had expected the girls to be chatting it up, but Kitrina was at the fire pit seemingly lost in thought and Laura was at the cooking stove, also seemingly lost in thought.

That wasn't the only thing that Hew found odd, it was also that he had been gone for over three hours and that was pretty much exactly where he had left them.

"Dinner done?" he asked, watching as his voice seemed to break the women from whatever spell they were under.

"Oh... You're back. You're just in time for dinner." Laura said smiling as she brought him a bowl of stew.

Briefly smiling back, Hew accepted the bowl and wasted no time in stuffing a spoonful into his mouth, grateful for the meal. The flavor was delicious, the mixing of meat, vegetables and broth causing his eyes to roll with delight and it was a considerable feet considering they were working with acquired ingredients.

"This is really good, but I don't remember grabbing any beef on the last raid. What's the meat?" Hew asked, spooning another mouthful past his lips.

Laura just sent him a quick wink as she smiled a bit and walked back to the stove, still with that smirk across her lips. It caused Hew's brows to furrow.

_Huh... That was weird. _He shrugged and swallowed his mouthful, "Hey Kitty... I brought you something." he said, gaining her attention from the glowing embers of the fire.

Kitrina hadn't even registered that Hew had returned from his outing, but when she heard her name, she finally broke from her internal musings.

"Huh? What?" she stuttered, quickly scanning the cave until she saw Hew standing with his bowl of stew.

Hew grinned at her, "I brought you a new toy... Think you can fix it?" he asked, grabbing his bag and heading over to the open chair next to her.

"Fix what? I'd need to see it before I can say yes or no." Kitrina said, trying not to smirk too widely.

Hew reached into his bag and pulled a helmet that was very much damaged. The front visor was crackled and there was a rather decent dent on the side of the helmet that looked like it hurt whomever's head was in it at the time.

"What happened to it?" she asked with a soft but crooked grin as she accepted the helmet from him and turned it over in her hands.

Hew rubbed the back of his neck as his face churned with a rosy blush, "Me." he smirked innocently.

Kitrina giggled, "What do you want fixed?" she asked, looking inside the helmet for anymore hidden damage.

"I mainly want the comm up and running." he said, clasping his hands together and resting his forearms on his knees slowly rolling the bowl of stew between his hands.

Again, Kitrina giggled quietly, "Well... I think it's salvageable. It looks like it's only got superficial damage. I should have it fixed in no time." she said, reaching into a cargo pocket of her trousers for a small bundle of tools.

"Good... I like to eavesdrop," he smiled, "I have a problem." only to let his smile turn into a large toothy grin.

Kitrina let out a brief roll of guttural laughter, "I assume it's so we can listen in on their progress?"

Hew nodded.

"That's clever." Kitrina smiled at him, letting her giggles subside.

Hew shrugged and smiled at her some more, "I have my moments."

As she took one of her tools from the pouch to start work on the helmet, a thought struck her, "Um... Where's the rest of it?" an eyebrow popped.

Hew grinned again as he begin empty his small pack and all the pouches on his combat harness, pulling a decent stack of medi-gel, omni-gel and food rations, "The hardsuit is at the bottom of the ravine to the north about fifteen clicks from here... Just to be safe." he smiled again at her.

"That would explain what took you so long huh?" Kitrina asked, already fairly certain that that was the reason for his several hour long outing.

"What? You think I ran off with someone?" Hew joked with another smile that immediately vanished when he saw the sudden look on panic across Kitrina's face, "Um... I missed something while I was gone didn't I."

As if that was their cue, both women answered him simultaneously.

"No."

_O... K... That was weird. _He thought with eyes that bounced back and forth between the two. _Huh... If it's important, then Kitty'll tell me later._ He continued to think as he settled back into his chair and continued eating his meal.

The cave drew quiet again with the only exception being that of the light clinking of Kitrina's tools as she worked with the helmet's comm unit and the low crackle of the ember fire. It only took her about an hour to get it working again, but when it fizzled and crackled back into life, what they heard surprised them all.

* * *

><p><strong>Commander's Office<strong>

"That's it... I'm calling it. Sergeant Major... Start SAR operations. They've been out there far too long. Pull everyone who isn't at a critical posting and get them in the air. All instructors and support are to keep their eyes open just in case they turn up. We need to find them." Commander Basalone ordered as he watched out his office window, holding the datapad with the report that the five cadets were still on the lamb.

"Yes, Sir." was all the Sergeant Major said before he headed to the communications room to relay the Commander's orders. _I hope they're alright._

* * *

><p><strong>The Cave<strong>

_"...I say again... This is a Search and Rescue operation. All personnel are to report back to the compound and assist. That is all."_

Hew looked at Kitrina and Laura, whom had join them when the commed voice filtered into the cave, "Well... I guess that means we win huh?" he huffed with a brief smile.

Both Kitrina and Laura just stared at him, both with mouths slightly agape with wonderment.

"You can't be serious. This is bad Hew. They think we're lost and need help!" Kitrina said, blowing out a nervous breath at the fleeting thought that they had failed their mission.

"I get that part Kitrina, but it means they couldn't find us. That was the whole point of this wasn't it?" Hew countered, seeing her nervousness all over her face.

"So... Now what?" Laura asked the obvious question, but she too was a bit nervous that they had done something wrong.

"Well... That's simple... We put on our clean uniforms, polish our shoes and report in." Hew said simply and a little too evenly for their comfort.

All Kitrina could do was be shocked, "You can't be serious?" she breathed, rubbing the back of her neck.

Hew smiled with a cheshire grin, "Oh you have no idea."

* * *

><p><strong>The Base<strong>

Sergeant Major Warren was pissed. He was tasked with coordinating all the ground crews, as well asthe air aspect of their SAR operation and still needed more personnel, but when a fresh group of enlisted showed up in their service dress alphas, his relief was loud and obvious.

Without even looking up from his datapad that had the locations and reports of the fields he had out looking for the missing cadets, he set out to immediately assign the new arrivals to a job.

"Good... I need you three to go over to the hanger and assist there. They're getting backed up with getting eyes in the air to find these people." he ordered stiffly and more then a bit agitated.

"Aye aye Smaj." an obviously male voice replied.

However, the threaded snicker that was laced into the new arrival's voice drew the Sergeant Major's attention, "Where the Hell do you get off..." He trailed off when he realized who he was talking to, "Cadet Shepard?"

"Yes Sergeant Major. As well as Cadets Lojdahl and Wolff. I also found Cadets Tselikova and Zarr on our way back." Hew said, his snicker fading as the lot of them straightened up into a lazy attention.

Sergeant Major Warren's looked to the two cadets that followed the three that were clean and dressed. They were in much worse condition, having looked like they spent the last two weeks sleeping in a garbage dump, while others looked like they had just returned from a three day liberty call.

"What the hell happened to you two?" he asked, trying very hard not to start snickering at the mud smears and soot that had covered much of their uniforms and face.

At his question, Cadet Zarr rather strongly punched Cadet Tselikova in the arm, enough to make him stagger, but in his current condition, it probably wouldn't have take much.

"I told you we should have met up with Hew." Cadet Zarr mumbled as she glared at her partner.

Warren shook his head, "You five get your asses to the CO after you two get some food and get cleaned up. I'll tell the Commander you're on your way." he said, his throat rumbling a bit.

"Yes Sir!" the five Cadets responded in unison, much like they had done ever since they had begun their training.

The five cadets turned and headed for the barracks, all managing to smile a bit as they took in the state of the base. It was a scurry of activity as just about all the personnel assigned to the base was doing something and by the looks of it, it all pertained to trying to find them. Squads were gearing up to head out on their search, trucks were being loaded with field medical supplies and being sent out to sit and wait around the compound should someone radio in that they had found them. Shuttles flew over and in all directions in their own search patterns and squads were even returning from their searches that took them outside of the area of operation.

"How come you guys didn't meet up? I checked everyday." Hew said, deciding to catch up with the missing two friends since he hadn't seen them for two weeks.

Eva answered before Afon could, "Mister 'Wilderness Survival' here said he could handle it. He said it would be easy and it would be fun to spend time together." her glare made Afon blush through the caked dirt and he kept his head down because of it.

"Oh," Hew shrugged, "I'll admit, you guys look a bit roughed up." he nonchalantly pointed to their dirt and rather rank uniforms.

"Yeah, well that had to do with him. How did you guys keep your uniforms so clean?" Eva asked, feeling even more dirty then she did.

Hew shrugged, again, nonchalantly, "We washed them." he deadpanned like it was normal to be able to wash your clothes when your hiding from insurgents.

Unfortunately for Afon, that set Eva off, "You had enough water to wash your cloths? Afon! I'm gonna kill you! You said that adding two more would stretch their resources and make it easier to find us in a group of five! We had to move six times Afon! SIX! TIMES!" she snapped, punching Afon's arm again, "Hew... I'm sorry. We thought you were having a hard enough time with three." her voice was far nicer to Hew, then it was to Afon.

"Naw... We were fine. Actually had fun. The bath was a bit small though." Hew grumbled, unaware that he had stoked Eva's rising fury.

"YOU! HAD! A! BATH!" Eva again, punched Afon in the back, causing him to cringe.

"I'm sorry ok! You were right, I was wrong. We should've met up with them. There... You happy?" Afon finally said in his weak attempt to defend himself from Eva's anger.

"Not till after my shower." Eva grumbled as they slip off to get clean.

* * *

><p><strong>Commander's Office<strong>

**One hour later**

Sitting in his office with more datapads then he cared to have, Commander Basalone grumbled, wishing he had a cigar to take his mind off things. He may appear cold and robotic, but he had been worried when the five cadets were missing, but now, he had a bunch of paperwork to fill out and in all honesty, he was happy to report that they were alright.

All he had to do now, was wait for them to get to his office, but the moment he felt like he needed to go find them again, the distinctive sound of someone slapping the pine outside his door sounded.

"Enter."

His door opened and five clean and fed cadets stepped through the threshhold.

"Cadets Shepard, Lojdahl, Tselikova,Wolff and Zarr reporting as ordered Sir." Hew reported as the group stood in a line in front of his desk.

Commander Basalone tried not to smile, but failed, "Well I'll be."

He took a moment to study the five, noticing that Cadet Shepard, Lojdahl, and Wolff looked rested, well fed and clean while Cadets Tselikova and Zarr looked under fed and exhausted with their camp fatigues hanging off their frames. If it wasn't for the look in their eyes, he would have assumed they were broken, but the drive and fire he saw in all the cadets at the start was still there.

"So," he sighed, "Care to explain cadets?" he asked, pushing aside his current datapad to give them his full and undivided attention.

Hew tilted his head to the side, "Explain what Sir?" he asked, popping an eyebrow.

"Explain to me how you were able to evade for two weeks and we weren't able to track you?" the Commander asked again in more detail while crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back into his plush chair.

"Sir? I'm confused... Was that not the point of this whole thing?" Tselikova asked with confusion in his voice.

"Yes, of course it is, but we weren't able to pick up the emergency signal from any of you." the Commander said, resting his ankle on top of his knee.

"Emergency signal Sir?" Hew asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes... It's part of the bug out switch we gave you. It's so we can find someone if they go missing." Commander Basalone said with a long sigh through his nose.

"Ah... That's cheating Sir." Hew said, swallowing lightly.

The Commander smiled and started to chuckle as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "That's beside the point Cadet Shepard. The point is, is that's a safety device and when we activated yours, they all pinged in your respective barracks. Can you explain that?" he asked, looking up at the lot.

"That's easy Sir. That's where we left them." Hew said like is what every one did.

The Commander just blinked at them, "You left them in the barracks? Why?"

Hew shrugged, "So you couldn't track us with them." he said.

The Commander's brows furrowed, "Let me get this straight... You left a safety device behind so we couldn't find you in the event of an emergency? Explain to me how that was smart. I'd love to know."

Hew glanced as his fellow cadets, "In a real life situation we wouldn't have an safety device and even if we did, triggering it would allow the enemy to find us. So... I simply explained to my fellow cadets that we should 'train how we fight so we can fight how we train'." he answered.

The Commander eyeballed Cadet Shepard for a moment, wondering why he was answering all the questions, but it told him that he was the defacto leader of the little group. He seemed to be a natural born leader and those whom followed, did so without even thinking twice about it, but as he answered his questions, it became very apparent that he knew more then he should for a young man his age.

"That makes sense Cadet, but from now on, you follow orders to the letter. Understood?" the Commander said, leaning forward to clasp his hands together and rest his arms on his desk.

"Yes Sir." Hew nodded.

The Commander returned the nod, "Well... I think we're done here. You five are dismissed and on base liberty for the next three days. Go get ready for gradation cadets. You're dismissed." his smirked returned.

"Aye Sir." all the cadets said in unison.

Commander Basalone watched as the cadets turned on their heels and left his office, seeing the held back smirks cross their faces as they stepped out into the corridor. He slowly shook his head, watching Hew for a moment until he was out of sight as he thought that that particular cadet had vast potential, but his partner in crime, Cadet Wolff was something else as well. His street smarts coupled with her book smarts made them a pair to be reckoned with and in the future that lay directly ahead of them, things were about to get interesting.

* * *

><p><strong>Three days later<strong>

The excitement was thick in the air. Out of thirty hopefuls that had arrived at the classified base, only ten passed the course. Hew and crew were just happy that they all passed, but something bothered him. He just didn't know what.

"Do you guys really think all it takes is a couple of months and we're N7s?" he asked, sighing as his brain rampaged with thoughts.

"Why not man? It's not like it was easy. Hell... I broke more bones during hand to hand then I would care to admit." Afon said with a mild scoff.

"That's because you don't duck." Hew joked with a smug smile.

"Point." Afon conceded.

Before anyone else could speak up, the PA crackled overhead, _"All Personnel gradating, report to the CO's office. That is all."_

All five furrowed their brows.

"Well... That's our cue. Lets go." Hew said, grabbing his cover and heading to the Commander's office as ordered.

Going through the same ritual as always, Hew announced their presence and was told to enter where Commander Basalone was seated in his chair, and the other passing cadets were present as well.

"Good... You're all here. Let me offer you a congratulations on finishing the selection process for N7 training." he said, smirking as he saw all their faces drop.

After a moment of shock and chastising himself that he was right, Hew spoke, "What do you mean by 'selection processes' Sir?" he asked cautiously.

"Just what I said Ensign Shepard. A selection processes. What? You thought we could make you N7s in three months or less?" the Commander laughed out loud as he crossed his arms.

There were whispers, hushed conversations and disbelief in voices. Through all the hell they went through, the pain that was inflicted, the blood shed, the bones broken, it all turned out to be a selection processes. It was a weeding out term, meant to flush out the ones who couldn't hack it. Ten people made the cut and five of those were standing in front of the Commander because they had bonded as friends and helped each other through it.

After finally able to accept that it all wasn't over yet, Hew sighed, but there was something odd about how the Commander had addressed. He thought he was a cadet, not an Ensign.

"What do you mean by Ensign?" Hew asked, finally able to speak.

The Commander smirk, "Well... That's really simple actually. You all received your commissions as of 0730 this morning." his smirk turned into a full blown grin.

Everyone's eyes widened a bit.

"And what happens now?" Hew asked, very much hoping that there weren't anymore surprises.

"The real training starts, and you're gonna love it."

Having absolutely no words, the ten newly minted Ensigns were completely, utterly stunned, but that was completely overshadowed by their worry. The Commander was smiling, an honest to God, genuine smile and if their last few months had been true, if the Commander was smiling, an Ensign is going to cry.


End file.
